Mr Aslin, 28, and Mr Pinner, 48, were captured last month by Russian forces while fighting in southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Both were fighting in the "regular" Ukrainian armed forces, which should entitle them to the protections of the Geneva Convention after capture.
However, Russian separatists have claimed they are “mercenaries”, despite them residing in Ukraine and serving in its army.
On Telegram, Kremlin-owned news agency RIA News said: “The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom.”
British national Shaun Pinner, who took part in hostilities on the side of Ukraine and sentenced to death in the Donetsk People’s Republic, has been recognized as terrorist in the United Kingdom, according to the text of the court’s verdict.
ReplyDeleteEarlier on Thursday, the court sentenced to capital punishment two British nationals, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, as well as Moroccan Brahim Saadoun, for participating in the combat actions in Ukraine as mercenaries.
"Shaun Pinner was on a wanted list in the UK for taking part in combat actions in Iraq and Syria, and was recognized as terrorist in the UK. In connection with this, Shaun Pinner went to Ukraine to take part in the hostilities," the text of the verdict reads.