Three Britons face death penalty after Russia accuses them of being 'mercenaries'

Three other Britons will be tried by a secret Russian court and face the merciless death penalty. They also face terrorism charges after being accused of being 'mercenaries'

Dylan Healy is facing the death penalty (

Image: SWNS/East2west News)

Three Britons face the death penalty in Russia after being accused by the state of being 'mercenaries'.

John Harding, Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy will be tried by a secret Russian court next week.

The trio are currently being held by pro-Russian separatists in the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic pending trial, and face terrorism charges.

Harding and Hill both fought in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while Healy was an aid worker.

The Interfax news agency was the first to report the news of their trial, stating: "The hearing is scheduled for August 15, it will be held behind closed doors".

A representative of the DPR Supreme Court also said that - in accordance with DPR law - if the defendants are found guilty, they face severe penalties, which means that the three individuals could face the penalty of death.

In April, father-of-four Hill, from Plymouth, was featured on Russian TV after he was reportedly shot and injured. Footage showed him injured with a bandage on his head and his left arm covered in a sling.

Shaun Pinner was an active member of the Ukrainian army (

Picture:

social media/e2w)