A Newark man is appealing after he was sentenced to death by an internationally unrecognised Russian Court. Aiden Aslin, 28, was captured by Russian forces in April whilst fighting for Ukraine, and was sentenced to death last month by a Russian court in the international unrecognised Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
A protest for Aiden's release was held in Old Market Square on Sunday, June 26, where a crowd gathered to show their support following his fear that the execution would go ahead. However, an appeal against the death sentence was filed yesterday (Monday, July 4) by Aiden's lawyer Pavel Kosovan according to the International Information Group, Interfax.
Mr Kosovan told Interfax "A cassation appeal against the sentence was lodged today." Aiden and fellow Briton Shaun Pinner, 48, were tried as mercenaries by the court despite serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces both, and were sentenced to execution by firing squad along with Moroccan national Saadoun Brahim.
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A Russian News Agency, TASS ,reported that on July 4, "the lawyer of convicted Aslin Aiden filed an appeal to the Appeals Chamber of the Supreme Court with a request to change the sentence." They report that Aiden's defence has asked to cancel his sentence under Part 2 of Article 34 and Article 323 of the DPR's Criminal Code, and to dismiss the charges due to the absence of components of crime in Aiden's actions.
TASS also reported that appeals have been filed for Shaun Pinner and Saadoun Brahim.
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