He Fought for Ukraine. Now Morocco is Punishing Him

In 2019, Brahim Saadoun left Morocco for Ukraine to study aerospace engineering. Seeking military experience, he enlisted in the Ukrainian military in November 2021 under a three-year contract. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, he found himself serving with the Ukrainian Marines in the besieged city of Mariupol.

Captured by Russian forces, he was sentenced to death in a show trial by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), accused of being a mercenary.

Six months later, after international outcry, Saadoun was released in a prisoner swap mediated by Saudi Arabia. But his return to Morocco did not bring him the freedom he expected. Instead, he found himself trapped – unable to obtain a passport, under surveillance, and pressured into silence.

“I feel abandoned, silenced, and without hope for a way forward.”

A fighter, not a mercenary

Saadoun spoke six languages, including Ukrainian and Russian, making him valuable to the Ukrainian military as both a translator and a fighter. “I joined to fight injustice,” he said, rejecting the label of a mercenary.

In the chaotic early months of the war, his unit suffered severe losses. Supplies ran out, defensive lines collapsed, and a planned retreat was sabotaged from within. “Some officers surrendered their teams without informing the battalion,” he recalled. This betrayal led to ambushes and bombings, forcing the remaining soldiers to fight until they were overrun.

Captured in March 2022, he was taken to Donetsk and put on trial alongside two British fighters, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner. Pinner, who had previously served in the British Army, had been living in Ukraine since 2018 and was in the final months of a three-year contract with Ukrainian forces when Russia invaded.

Pinner said, “The brutality we endured before the trial was, unfortunately, nothing I didn’t expect from Russia.”

He recalled the harsh conditions of his captivity, stating, “I was electrocuted, beaten, and stabbed in the leg while spending 60 days with Brahim, during which we were brutally beaten, interrogated, and starved, receiving only bread every other day.”

Speaking about the trial, Pinner said, “We were further degraded in a sham trial, accused of being mercenaries and terrorists, despite never having set foot outside the country where we held legal status.”

Expressing his frustration with the proceedings, he added, “We were furious that we were not even allowed to plead ‘not guilty’ in this so-called process, which was clearly a trial by public opinion.”

While awaiting execution, he endured torture and propaganda use. “We were deprived of food, clean water, and sleep. We were beaten and electrocuted daily,” said Saadoun.

A politically calculated release

In September 2022, Saudi Arabia brokered his release. Saadoun believes his freedom was part of a deal to ease Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Among those involved in the negotiations was Roman Abramovich, the billionaire and former owner of Chelsea Football Club.

On the flight to Saudi Arabia, Abramovich asked him if he planned to return to Ukraine. Saadoun stated, “I simply smiled and said, ‘Why not?’ He smirked and walked away.”

Even after his release, Saadoun was not truly free. In Saudi Arabia, he was constantly monitored, separated from fellow prisoners, and denied internet access. When Moroccan embassy officials arrived to escort him home, he felt like a prisoner rather than a freed man. “I wasn’t allowed to use wi-fi. I felt like I was being kidnapped.”

After months of captivity, Saadoun believed his nightmare was over. But as soon as he landed in Morocco, it became clear that his freedom was still out of reach.

Treated like a criminal in Morocco

Upon arrival in Casablanca, he was immediately taken for interrogation.

“The questions felt more like an attempt to hold me liable than to understand my experience.”

Intelligence officers visited his home, instructing him to stay silent on social media. His father was warned that Saadoun was under constant surveillance and should “not do anything stupid.”

Applying for a passport should have been straightforward, but his request was met with delays and bureaucracy. “It has now been three years, and my application is nowhere to be found in government records.” When he hired a lawyer to file a lawsuit, the lawyer was blackmailed into dropping the case.

The legal fight for justice

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has been investigating his treatment in captivity under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code, which covers war crimes, including violations of international law and the right to a fair trial.

According to Anna Kozmenko, a lawyer at the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union’s Center for Strategic Affairs, the SBU is primarily investigating two major violations in Brahim’s case:

The show trial that sentenced him to death – Prosecutors are examining how the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) authorities violated his legal rights. Ukrainian officials believe the proceedings were politically motivated and orchestrated for propaganda purposes.

The use of torture – Ukrainian authorities suspect Brahim was subjected to physical and psychological abuse while in captivity, including sleep deprivation, electrocution, and daily beatings, which could constitute war crimes under international law.

However, the investigation faces significant obstacles. As Kozmenko explains:

“Without access to Brahim in Ukraine, even the most basic investigative actions such as forensic psychological and medical examinations cannot be conducted.”

Compounding the challenge is Morocco’s refusal to cooperate. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly requested legal assistance from Moroccan authorities to interview Brahim and conduct forensic examinations on Moroccan soil, but these requests have been ignored.

Despite these setbacks, Ukrainian prosecutors intend to push forward, focusing on bringing those responsible for Brahim’s unlawful sentencing and mistreatment to justice.

“After this, the case can be expected to be referred to court for in absentia proceedings against ‘DNR’ judges who violated the right to a fair trial, as well as further work on identifying those who tortured the victim,” said Kozmenko.

While Ukrainian prosecutors are pushing forward with their case, Saadoun remains trapped – physically and politically.

Under surveillance, with no way out

“I am fully aware that I am being watched,” said Saadoun.

Even casual conversations are monitored. After briefly speaking to a friend in a park, police approached the man after Saadoun left, questioning him about the interaction. Saadoun pointed out that his father continues to receive veiled warnings through government contacts.

With no travel documents, Saadoun turned to the Ukrainian embassy for help. Their response was blunt: without a passport, they could do nothing.

Pinner commented on Saadoun’s situation, stating that he has not been given any explanation as to why Saadoun is unable to obtain a passport and leave the country. “He is a hero who endured horrendous torture and brutality, a symbol of resilience in Ukraine’s fight for freedom and democracy,” said Pinner.

Morocco has not officially explained why Saadoun’s passport has been blocked. But it is clear that his involvement in Ukraine’s military – and the diplomatic tension between Morocco, Russia, and Ukraine – has left him in political limbo.

Morocco has maintained a neutral stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, avoiding direct condemnations at the United Nations. Blocking Saadoun’s travel could be part of an effort to maintain good relations with Moscow.

Saadoun pointed out that a lot of Russian money and influence flows into Morocco. “My decision to fight for and support Ukraine may have stood in the way of that, so Morocco refused to allow me to leave the country, fearing that I might return to Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, he remains stuck in bureaucratic exile – a man who risked his life for Ukraine but has nowhere to go. “I fought until the end, but now I am a prisoner in my own country.”