The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the so-called DPR reported that an attempt was made on the life of the judge of the Supreme Court of the "DPR" Alexander Nikulin. Denis Pushilin, appointed by the Russian Federation as acting head of the republic, clarified that he passed death sentences on foreigners who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the department, Nikulin received a gunshot wound on the evening of November 4 in Uglegorsk, he is in serious condition.
The fact that Nikulin was the presiding judge in the panel that sentenced the British Aiden Eslin and Sean Pinner to death, as well as the Moroccan Saadoun Brahim, was also reported by Russian propaganda agencies. The Ukrainian authorities opened a criminal case against Nikulin for violating the laws of war (Article 428 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
On September 21, Reuters, citing an official representative of Saudi Arabia, reported that Russia, through the mediation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, released 10 prisoners of war with Ukraine as part of an exchange with Ukraine. Among them were citizens of the United States, Great Britain, Sweden, Croatia and Morocco, including Eslin, Pinner and Saadoun.
On June 9, in the "DPR" they were sentenced to death by firing squad for participating in the war on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the "DPR" and "LPR". In this regard, the UK sent a note of protest to Russia. Tahar Saadoun, the father of the sentenced 21-year-old Moroccan, said that his son has Ukrainian citizenship. Saadun's lawyer Dmitry Yershov told Lente.ru that he surrendered on March 12 in Volnovakha. According to him, Saadoun moved to Ukraine in 2019, and in 2021 signed a three-year contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, on the advice of Eslin, ended up in the 36th Separate Marine Brigade.