Johnson Calls on Russian Authorities to 'Treat' British Prisoners with Compassion

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged Russian authorities to respect the rights of British prisoners Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, who were captured in Mariupol while serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, under the Geneva Convention.

“We call for the prisoners to be treated humanely,” Johnson said on Wednesday while addressing the UK Parliament. He also emphasized that Pinner and Aslin were members of the Ukrainian armed forces, not mercenaries. At the same time, the UK government leader stated that London is against British citizens going to Ukraine to participate in military operations.

Commenting on a proposal by Conservative MP Robert Jenrick, who represents Newark in Nottinghamshire, to ban the posting of video interviews of British prisoners on Russian television on social media, Johnson expressed his support for such an initiative. However, the Prime Minister did not address the possible exchange of Pinner and Aslin with Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, which the prisoners themselves had previously requested him to pursue.

On Tuesday, a statement from Aslin’s family indicated that the UK Foreign Office is working towards the release of the British prisoners in Mariupol.

Pinner and Aslin have been serving in the Ukrainian Marine Corps since 2018.