MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The Kremlin has not yet received a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin from the father of Brahim Saadoun, the Moroccan sentenced to death in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Wednesday.

"No, we have not received it yet," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Yelena Vesnina, Saadoun’s lawyer, told TASS that she was unaware of such a letter. According to her, it might have been written by the family on their own, without her recommendation. Vesnina says that she has explained to Saadoun’s relatives that first of all, a cassation appeal against the sentence will be filed, and only then, provided that it is turned down and the verdict takes effect, a request for clemency will be submitted to the DPR head.

On June 9, the Criminal Appeals Chamber of the DPR Supreme Court handed the death penalty to Moroccan citizen Brahim Saadoun and UK citizens Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, who had been captured in Donbass, on charges of taking part in combat operations in the ranks of Ukrainian armed formations as mercenaries.

On June 16, the convicts received copies of the translated court ruling on their case. DPR Foreign Minister Natalya Nikonorova said the court would first have to decide within a judicial deadline on whether to consider the appeals that may be submitted by the death-sentenced foreign mercenaries.