Relatives of a Briton captured while serving in the Ukrainian Navy have spoken of their dismay at seeing him being led in front of cameras by his Russian captors.
Aiden Aslin’s family said he was a legitimate combatant in Ukraine’s armed forces and spoke under duress during an interview posted online this week, which was described as violating the Geneva Conventions.
“Aiden is a well-loved young man with a strong network of friends around him and a loving wife-to-be. At this difficult time, we urge you to respect our family’s privacy,” his loved ones said.
Pictures of Aslin in handcuffs surfaced last week, shortly after he indicated through his third-party-controlled social media accounts that he had no choice but to surrender because the unit he was with in the besieged city of Mariupol served, had run out of food and ammunition.
A 45-minute film was released online this week in which he was questioned by Graham William Phillips, a Brit who previously worked for Kremlin-backed TV station RT and was accused of spreading Moscow’s propaganda.
Several times during the film, Aslin answers no when asked if he is speaking under duress. Questioned by Phillips, he recounts his time in the Ukrainian military and, prompted by his interviewer, repeats several lines of Moscow propaganda, including that he is a mercenary and therefore not a legitimate combatant.
“The video, in which Aiden speaks under duress and clearly sustained physical injuries, is deeply upsetting,” his family said in a statement released Tuesday. “The use of POW images and videos is against the Geneva Convention and must stop.
“Together with Shaun Pinner’s family, we are in liaison with the Foreign Office to ensure the Russian authorities are meeting their obligations to prisoners of war under international law and ultimately to secure the release of Aiden and Sean,” they said and related then recalls a second British soldier captured in Ukraine.
The statement added: “In 2018, Aiden moved to Ukraine where he met his girlfriend and eventually settled in Mykolaiv. Aiden decided to join the Ukrainian Marines and has served in his unit for almost four years. Contrary to Kremlin propaganda, he is not a volunteer, mercenary or spy. Aiden made plans for his future outside of the military, but like all Ukrainians, his life was turned upside down by Putin’s barbaric invasion. He did his part to defend Ukraine’s right to self-determination.”
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said on Tuesday the government would “provide all the support we can” when asked about the fate of British nationals being held by Moscow’s forces. “We call on Russia and Putin to treat all prisoners of war fairly, in accordance with all wartime conventions and laws.”
When asked about attempts to use the captured men for propaganda purposes, the spokesman said: “We have seen how Putin’s regime has used captured prisoners and soldiers in this way, but we must not be swayed by attempts to spread disinformation or by them to distract who is responsible.”
Local Aslin MP Robert Jenrick added: “The Russian government’s misuse of Aiden Aslin for propaganda purposes, including his portrayal in videos clearly shot under duress, is a shameful and flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention. Russia must stop this illegal behavior immediately and treat Aiden appropriately.”
He also called on online platforms to “fulfill their responsibilities to remove POW content from their websites”. He said: “I urge YouTube to remove the grotesque video of Aiden Aslin immediately. Aiden’s family and I are working with the State Department to ensure his speedy and safe release.”