Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Brahim Saadoun, a Moroccan who was arrested by Russian forces for fighting with the Ukraine army, is facing trial in Donetsk this week, along with two other foreigners.
The three may be facing death penalties in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to the region’s de-facto Ministry of Justice and public prosecutors.
“A fair decision will be taken with each of these cases. Among the detainees, there are some who will be subjected to the harshest punishment, which is the death penalty under the Donetsk Republic’s criminal law,” the ministry said.
Saadoun, along with UK citizens Sean Pinner and Andrew Hill, are being charged with war crimes and terrorism.
Saadoun was taken into custody in April by Russian military forces, with several Russian stations airing a video of an alleged interrogation with him. In the circulated footage, he revealed feeling very scared at the moment of his arrest.
Russian media claimed that Saadoun was working with Ukraine’s army under a contract, after having previously studied at the Faculty of Aerodynamic and Space Technologies at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute (KPI).
Fighting between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing for more than 100 days now, with Amin Awad, the UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, warning that the war “will have no winner.”
While Awad expressed optimism that the fighting will end soon, he still lamented the toll of the war, with the UN confirming that at least 9,000 civilians have been killed since its start.
