Sister of Moroccan man on death row in Ukraine pleads for help: “My brother was betrayed by his own community” | Abroad

“My brother has been betrayed,” said Iman Saadoun, Brahim’s older sister. “When he was sentenced to death by the pro-Russian rebels, almost everyone celebrated that he will die. They were celebrating his getting shot. My heart breaks because his own community doesn’t support him. So I beg that any authority, anyone who wants to help, lend a helping hand to my brother.”

According to Iman, many local media report positively about the punishment her brother received. His compatriots are also unusually harsh on social media. That is not surprising given that the Russian attitude is somewhat greater in the Middle East and Africa than in Europe or the United States. Still, some reactions are extremely hurtful, according to Iman. “Honestly, he must be killed. He is not a real Moroccan,” it reads. Or shorter, if not more brutal: “Kill Brahim”.

Brahim moved to Ukraine in 2017 to fulfill his dream: he wanted to become an aerospace engineer. “He loved everything to do with airplanes,” says Iman. “He also wanted to build them himself.” Finally, in 2020, Brahim would also have officially become a citizen of Ukraine after completing his military training. This military training was part of his university training in aviation techniques.

Russia has described Brahim as a ‘mercenary’ after he was captured, but the country has not been able to provide any evidence for this. After all, Brahim was a member of the naval unit in Ukraine and was sent to Mariupol as soon as war broke out in the country.

Because according to his sister Brahim has only defended the country where he lived, worked and studied, she wants to spread a more positive image of him. With the hashtag #SaveBrahim, Iman and Brahim’s friends try to draw attention to the Moroccan man. “I just want any authority, anyone willing to help, to come and help.”

Brahim Saadoun was captured in Mariupol in mid-April along with two British soldiers. Now they have been sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in the self-declared pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic. The British Aiden Aslin (28), Shaun Pinner (48) and the Moroccan Brahim Saadoun are called “mercenaries”. The law states that they must be shot.