The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine commented on the "death sentence" handed down by an illegal Donetsk Peopleʼs Republic court to three captured foreigners who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Thus, in a comment to Radio Svoboda, Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said that all foreigners who fight in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are servicemen of the Armed Forces, have the legal status of combatants, and enjoy the rights of prisoners of war in captivity. This means that violence, intimidation, and inhumane treatment are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
- On June 9, the Donetsk Peopleʼs Republic Supreme Court handed down the first sentence to three foreign servicemen who fought alongside the Ukrainian military. The British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, as well as the Moroccan Saadoun Brahim were sentenced to death (execution). They will have a month to file an appeal. If the "head of the republic" pardons the convicts, the death penalty can be commuted to life imprisonment or 25 years in prison.
- On June 8, the General Staff of Ukraine stated that foreign nationals serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine were granted the legal status of combatants. This status, in particular, gives them the right to be treated as prisoners of war if they fall into enemy hands, as they are protected by the Geneva Convention.