Donetsk, Aug 15 — DAN. The DPR Supreme Court Appeal Chamber held an open hearing of the criminal case against foreign mercenaries who fought on Ukraine’s side, DAN correspondent reports.

Earlier, the Appeals Chamber received the criminal case against Mattias Gustavsson from Sweden, Vjekoslav Prebeg from Croatia, John Harding, Dylan Healy, Andrew Hill from the Great Britain.

Gustavsson was born in Sweden in 1982, is not married, has a child. Since February 2022 served as a steersman/mechanic of an IFV in the 36th brigade. He received a monthly compensation of 30,000 hryvnia. During his service, Gustavsson underwent a combat training, and surrendered at the Azovstal in May.

Harding, born in the Great Britain in 1961, took part in the Syria war before coming to Ukraine as an instructor. He served as an instructor of the 36th brigade since April 2018. Remained at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol since the beginning of the special operation until his surrender on May 19. He received a monthly compensation of 30,000 hryvnia.  

Prebeg was born in Croatian in 1982. Neither married, nor has kids. He served as a senior rifleman in the 36th brigade in Pavlopol from May 2020 till April 2022. He received a monthly compensation of 30,000 hryvnia. Fluent in Russian. Surrendered on April 23, 2022.

The three mercenaries have been charged under Article 232 (Undergoing Training for the Purpose of Committing a Crime Under Article 323), Article 323 (Forcible Seizure of Power or Forcible Retention of Power), Part 3 of Article 430 (Participation of a Mercenary in an Armed Conflict or Hostilities) of the Criminal Code of the DPR.

Healy, a Great Britain national, is neither married, nor has kids. Arrived to Ukraine from Poland in March 2022 disguised as a Red Cross volunteer. He was transferring foreign mercenaries from Poland into Ukraine until April, until his detention in Zaporozhye. Charged under Article 32, Part 5 — Article 430, Part 1 (Assisting in the Recruitment of Mercenaries for use in Armed Conflict and Hostilities by Facilitating the Commission of a Crime by Giving Advice, Providing Information, and by Removing Obstacles) and Article 430, Part 1 (Recruitment, Training, Financing or Other Material Support of a Mercenary, as Well as His Participation in an Armed Conflict or Hostilities).

Hill, a Great Britain national, was born in 1986. Married, father of four, the youngest of his children is six years old. Hill served in the British Army. Arrived in Ukraine in March and underwent a training at a foreign mercenaries training centre. Tool part in combat in the DPR from March till April. Surrendered on April 25. Charged under Article 430, Part 3 (Participation of a Mercenary in an Armed Conflict or Hostilities).

The Appeals Chamber of the Donetsk People’s Republic Supreme Court handed down on June 9 death sentences to three foreign mercenaries who had fought on the side of Ukrainian armed formations. The defendants, British nationals Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin and a Moroccan national Saadun Brahim, are the first foreign mercenaries to be convicted in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They were charged under four articles of the DPR Criminal Code: committing a crime by a group of persons, violent coup or retention of power by force, mercenary activities, and training for terrorist activity. The mercenaries pleaded guilty to the charges.

The court found that the mercenaries’ actions led to civilian casualties and damage to the Republic’s social and civil infrastructure. *ot