Three Britons have pleaded not guilty to mercenary charges before a Russian-backed separatist court in Ukraine.
John Harding, Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy are among a group of five European men on trial in a court run by Kremlin-backed separatists in the city of Donetsk.
Harding, Vjekoslav Prebeg, who is Croatian, and Mathias Gustafsson, a Swede, who were captured in and around the port city of Mariupol, could face the death penalty under the laws of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russia leaves thousands of troops ‘stranded’ in tactical withdrawal – live updates
The five men have pleaded not guilty to charges of mercenarism and “training to seize power by force”, Russian news agency TASS reported.
The next court hearing in their case is scheduled for October, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a statement from the separatists’ court.
Mr Healy, 22, who was in Ukraine as an aid worker, was arrested at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in April alongside his colleagues British national Paul Urey. He died in police custody in July after being accused of committing “mercenary activities”. Mr. Hill, a military volunteer, was also captured in April by Russian forces.
Mr Harding had been fighting in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine since 2018 before he was captured.
Originally from Sunderland, he asked for help from Boris Johnson last month after learning he was facing a death sentence.
In June, the Donetsk authorities sentenced two Britons to deathAiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, and Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, accused of being mercenaries.
They were all captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine and all three have appealed their verdicts.
Read more:
Family members of Britons facing death penalty in Donetsk speak of their devastation
Steven Seagal visits jail holding Ukrainian detainees days after dozens were killed in attack
Ukrainian social media speculates that the Kremlin may seek to use the foreign fighters to obtain concessions from Ukraine or exchange them for Russian prisoners.
Subscribe to Ukrainian War Diaries on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker
Foreign governments have refused to negotiate with the Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two Russian-backed entities that have controlled parts of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine since 2014, citing its internationally recognized status in as part of Ukraine.
