Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were convicted of “terrorism” by a court that was not internationally recognized earlier this month in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The former caretaker, originally from Newark to Nottinghamshire, told his family that his captors had claimed that no attempt had been made by British officials to negotiate on his behalf. His family said he had spoken to him in a phone call, in which he said he had been told “time was running out” by his captors. Ashlyn’s grandmother, Pamela Hall, told the BBC: “There are no words, there are simply no words. It must be the worst nightmare of all to have a family member threatened in this way. “Eden was extremely upset when he called his mother this morning. The bottom line is that Aiden said the DPR told him that no one from the UK had contacted him and that he would be executed. “I have to believe what Aiden told us, that if the DPR does not get an answer, then it will execute him. “Obviously, I hope it is not true.” Foreign Minister Liz Truss discussed Aslin’s case with Ukrainian officials about a fortnight ago and spoke of “efforts to secure the release of prisoners of war held by Russian proxies” with her Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba Dm. Tras described the death sentences as a “false decision with absolutely no legitimacy”. The Foreign Office is known to investigate cases of British nationals detained in Ukraine and to provide support to the families of Aslin and Piner from Bedfordshire. The two Britons and a Moroccan national, reportedly Saaudun Brahim, were arrested in April while fighting in the Ukrainian army in the city of Mariupol. The men are considered to be the first Ukrainian soldiers to be tried by pro-Russian forces. The couple moved to Ukraine in 2018 and served as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for several years before the Russian invasion. Both have Ukrainian partners and had made the country their home. Aslin settled in the southern city of Mykolaiv and acquired Ukrainian citizenship, which he holds in parallel with his British citizenship. The Russian court of appeals claimed that the couple were “mercenaries”, accusing them of being sent to fight in a foreign conflict for money. They were charged with crimes, including violent seizure of power and training to carry out terrorist activities, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently told British students that what Russia did to the British couple was a “tragic habit” and “there is no excuse for such actions.” The UK government has said it should treat prisoners of war in accordance with the laws set out in the Geneva Conventions. Ukraine has sentenced at least three Russian soldiers to prison terms for war crimes linked to the February 24 invasion. British government sources told the BBC that ministers were reluctant to negotiate directly with Moscow because it could risk fueling a false Russian narrative that men are mercenaries.
