Its Citizens Who Become Mercenaries In Ukraine Face The Death Penalty In Russia, Kremlin: No Contact From Britain Yet

Juru bicara Kremlin Dmitry Peskov. (Wikimedia Commons/Press Service of the President of Russia)

JAKARTA - British authorities have not tried to contact Russia about the future of British mercenaries who have joined Ukrainian forces in the Donbass battle, and are currently undergoing trials in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Kremlin said.

"No, there is no attempt," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked whether the British side had tried to discuss with Russia the possibility of filing an appeal against a sentence that had not yet been handed down or arranging a mercenary swap, citing TASS June 9.

Peskov believes that if the UK decides to appeal the future sentences to be awarded to the mercenaries, this way the UK will actually recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the legitimacy of its investigative and judicial authorities.

"That's the problem," he said.

On June 4, the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Donetsk People's Republic declared that criminal investigations into Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin from the UK and Saadoun Brahim from Morocco had been completed. A PGO spokesman said the defendants may face the death penalty.

The investigation uncovered the involvement of these foreigners in crimes as defined in section 2 of article 34 (crimes committed by a group of people), article 323 (forced seizure of power or forced retention of power), and article 430 (mercenaries) of the House of Representatives (DPR) Criminal Code (KUHP).

On Tuesday, British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said his country would appeal the possible death penalty facing British mercenaries in the House of Representatives.

Citing Reuters from RIA news agency, Pinner and Saadoun have pleaded guilty to acts aimed at seizing power by force in a video.

The video appears to show Aslin pleading guilty to a lesser charge involving weapons and explosives. He was seen standing in a cage and flipping through a stack of legal documents as the charges were translated to him.

The news agency quoted prosecutors as saying the combined charges could mean the death penalty for all three.

Separately, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office condemned what it called the exploitation of prisoners of war for political ends.

"They are entitled to combatant immunity and should not be prosecuted for participating in hostilities," a spokesman criticized late Wednesday.

Aslin and Pinner were arrested in April while fighting on the side of Ukraine. They were later shown on Russian TV asking to be released in exchange for a Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has been detained by Ukrainian authorities.

Saadoun was arrested in April. No comment was immediately available from Morocco's foreign ministry on his case.