Death sentences against the British and Moroccan are not legitimate, says Kiev – HNonline.sk

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that the death sentences handed down by a pro-Russian separatist court against two British citizens and one Moroccan should be considered invalid. The information was provided by the AP agency “The so-called court with military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the occupied Ukrainian territories has no meaning,” Oleh Nikolenko told Interfax Ukraine. “Such trials place (Russian) propaganda interests over the law or morals and undermine the mechanisms of returning prisoners of war. The Ukrainian government will continue to make every effort to release all Ukrainian defenders,” Nikolenko added, stressing that all foreign citizens fighting within the Ukrainian armed forces forces should be considered as Ukrainian military personnel and should be protected as prisoners of war. The British news station Sky News quoted one of the convicts, who stated during the hearing that he believed in a “fairer” trial. “I hoped the verdict would be much fairer given the circumstances in which I assisted the investigation and also because I had given up. The death penalty I wish it were different, but God will be the one to judge me when the time will come, “said 28-year-old Aiden Aslin, who was sentenced to death by shooting with 48-year-old Sean Pinner and Moroccan Saadun Brahim. The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the verdict issued by the Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DDR) a “fake” verdict and strongly condemned it. The three men were found guilty by an internationally unrecognized court for taking steps to forceful overthrow. The trio were also convicted of mercenary activities and alleged terrorism.