British ‘mercenaries’ face death by firing squad for Putin in Donetsk – World News

Prisoners Shaun Pinner, 48, and Andrew Hill, 35, are due to stand trial in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic over fears the pro-Russians will stage a show trial

Video is loading

Video not available

The video will start playing automatically soon8thCancel

Play Now

British “mercenaries” face the death penalty in Russia

Two British “mercenaries” who fought for Ukraine were today told they could face the death penalty at the hands of pro-Putin separatists.

Prisoners Shaun Pinner, 48, and Andrew Hill, 35, are due to stand trial in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

It is feared pro-Russians are aiming to stage a show aimed at maximizing concessions in Britain.

If convicted, the maximum penalty is execution – presumably by gunfire – for conducting “combat operations” against the pro-Putin region, a local law enforcement official said.

British “mercenary” Aiden Aslin, 28, who was also arrested by pro-Russian forces, was not included in the list of suspects.

Attorney General Officer Viktor Gavrilov said in a video: “According to detailed testimonies from British citizens Shaun Pinner and Andrew Hill, obtained by officials at the DPR Attorney General’s Office….

“Your involvement in the commission of unlawful acts has been established.

“A criminal case against mercenaries involved in the preparation and conduct of hostilities against the DPR has been completed.

“The case documents were presented to a court for trial.

“This allows the death penalty (death penalty) to be imposed on the accused under conditions of war.”

He failed to mention Aslin, who had previously been arrested, and warned that the maximum penalty was death.

Pinner looked exhausted in April as he admitted he understood the charges against him.

But like Pinner, he wasn’t seen admitting his guilt.

Bearded Hill, a father of four from Plymouth, admitted earlier this month in a video broadcast by pro-Putin media outlets that he had been “unknowingly” involved in “war crimes” — and pleaded for leniency.

As his British partner Candice Morgan made desperate efforts to bring him home, he seemed to compromise other foreign fighters as his confession mirrored the Russian playbook.

They “shoot [civilians]kill them and injure them indiscriminately,” he said.

“You stole valuable things from these people without any shame.

“Mercenaries also tortured Russian soldiers and Russian combat activists.

“They cut off their fingers and torture them.

“Prisoners were severely beaten and deprived of food and drink.

“I’ve never seen such cruelty on this scale before. “

His words corresponded exactly to the Russian propaganda version of the war, although until last week he appeared to be fighting voluntarily on the Ukrainian side.

“In this camp, supporters of neo-Nazi and nationalist ideology prevail,” he said.

“They are proud of the tattoos of the swastikas and the double S emblems. It was awful.

“Sadly, I found myself among these horrible people and unknowingly implicated in these war crimes.

“I understand that everything was done wrong and I hope for leniency from the Donetsk People’s Republic.”

Aslin said: “I totally understand what I’m being accused of and I totally agree with it, except for the part about the killing of civilians – I disagree with that [this].”

Earlier this month, Pinner and Aslin were told by prosecutor Andrei Spivak that they had “committed a series of crimes against civilians of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

“The maximum penalty for these crimes is the death penalty.”

The British men had fought at Mariupol, where they were arrested by Russian forces.