BREAKING: Three foreign fighters captured by Russian forces as they fought alongside Ukrainian troops in Mariupol have been sentenced to death by a court in occupied Donetsk
Three foreign fighters captured by Russian forces as they fought alongside Ukrainian troops in Mariupol have been sentenced to death by a court in occupied Donetsk, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
The sentencing was reportedly closed to the press, with only two Russian news agencies permitted to send staffers. In the wake of the sentencing, authorities of the occupied territory said the men have the right to seek a pardon, and if clemency is granted they will get 25 years behind bars instead. Captured in Mariupol amid heavy fighting in April, the three were accused of acting as “mercenaries” for Ukraine and attempting to “seize power and overthrow the constitutional power” of the self-proclaimed republic.
The three men had lived in Ukraine for years prior to the Feb. 24 invasion, and were officially part of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. At the time they were captured, a statement released on behalf of Aslin on Twitter said, “It’s been 48 days, we tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces. We have no food and no ammunition. It’s been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon.