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‘DPR’ brings charges against five foreigners that fought on Ukraine’s side

The self-proclaimed Donetsk “people’s republic” “court” has brought charges against five foreigners that fought on the side of Ukraine on the “DPR” territory, reports Russian state news agency RIA Novosti’s correspondent.

Photo: screenshot from the video shared by Russian state news agency TASS

Photo: screenshot from the video shared by Russian state news agency TASS

Matias Gustavsson (Sweden), Vjekoslav Prebeg (Croatia), and John Harding (UK) are accused of “participating in combat in the capacity of mercenaries and training for violent seizure of power”. They are facing the death penalty.

The Briton Andrew Hill is accused of “participating in combat in the capacity of mercenary”, while his compatriot Dylan Healy — of recruiting “mercenaries”. The Donetsk news agency reported the charges against Hill and Healy on 1 July.

None of the accused have pleaded guilty. According to RIA Novosti, the foreigners will be tried by the “Supreme Court” of the “DPR”.

The Russian news agency also notes that Matias Gustavsson was taken prisoner in Mariupol in the industrial zone of the Azovstal steelworks. The Swiss national said in the “court” that he had paid $700 for Ukrainian citizenship and received it six months later.


On 9 June, the “Supreme Court” of the “DPR” sentenced three foreign nationals to death for fighting on Ukraine’s side. The men in question are Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, UK citizens, and Brahim Saadun from Morocco.

They were found guilty of mercenarism and violent seizure of power by a group of persons — death penalty is the punishment for the latter charge, taking into account the fact that the crime had been, allegedly, committed during war time.

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Editor in chief — Kirill Martynov. Terms of use. Privacy policy.