Morocco does not intend to leave soldier Brahim Saadoun, sentenced to death, defenseless. A pool of Moroccan lawyers intends to go to Donetsk to follow the appeal trial of the man who was captured by the Russian army while defending Ukraine. Saadoun does not yet have Ukrainian nationality, he holds a residence permit.
Sentenced to death on June 9 by pro-Russian separatists in Donbass, pro-Ukrainian fighter of Moroccan origin Brahim Saadoun has the support of his people. As such, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), which has received the agreement of the Russian authorities to attend the appeal trial of this Moroccan national, intends to provide assistance to the detainee. This was announced by its president Aziz Ghali.
While pro-Russian separatists in Donbass said that “neither Morocco nor Britain has contacted our country”, accusing the two countries of not being “interested in the fate of their citizens”, Aziz Ghali said denied these allegations. Mr. Ghali insisted that the National Council for Human Rights in Morocco is following the case, adding that his association is in contact with Brahim Saadoun’s court-appointed lawyer. It should be noted that the separatist authorities have automatically appointed lawyers for foreigners tried on their soil.
For its part, the Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty had mandated lawyers to monitor the trial. Only, given the decision of the pro-Russian authorities in Donbass in Ukraine not to allow any foreign lawyer to plead in court, these Moroccan black robes will not be able to officiate. It should also be noted that Brahim Saadoun was tried and sentenced to death at the same time as two other Britons .
The three individuals are accused by the Russian authorities of mercenarism. This is denied by the Moroccan diplomatic authorities, stating that Brahim Saadoun was “captured wearing the uniform of the army of the State of Ukraine, as a member of a unit of the Ukrainian navy”. Recall that last weekend, the National Council for Human Rights in Morocco sent a letter to Russia to intercede in the case of the Moroccan national.
