One of five Britons captured in Ukraine and returned to the UK after a prisoner swap between Moscow and Kyiv told in an interview with British tabloid
The Sun
that he was beaten and forced to sing the Russian anthem in detention.
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Aged 28, Aiden Aslin had been taken prisoner in Ukraine, where he was fighting for kyiv, and was sentenced to death for mercenary.
After his surrender during the siege of Mariupol in April, "
the soldier asked in Russian 'where are you from?'
I told him I was from Britain and he punched me in the face
,
” he told The
Sun.
"I am your death"
According to his account, he was then separated from the other prisoners and interrogated in the back of an armored vehicle.
"
The officer was smoking a cigarette and knelt down in front of me to ask me 'do you know who I am?'
I said no and he replied in Russian "I am your death".
"
He said 'see what I did to you?'
He showed my back.
He showed me his knife and I realized he had kicked me with it.
»
Read alsoRussia accused of summary executions and torture of Ukrainian prisoners
The officer then asked him if he wanted "
a quick death or a magnificent death
", continued the Briton, whose partner is Ukrainian, to which he replied that he wanted a quick death.
"
He smiled and said 'No, you're going to have a wonderful death,'
"
Aiden Aslin told The
Sun.
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A cell infested with cockroaches and lice
He said he spent the next five months in a cell 1.20m by 1.80m infested with cockroaches and lice, deprived of daylight except when he was taken out to shoot videos. of propaganda or to be able to communicate with the British Foreign Office.
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Figaro
According to the
Sun
, the prisoner heard the Russian anthem played on repeat and was ordered to stand up and sing or be beaten, and also to shout "
glory to Russia
".
"
After being forced to sing the Russian anthem every morning for the past six months, I think it's time to learn something a little better and learn the Ukrainian anthem
," tweeted Sunday Aiden Aslin.
In The
Sun
, he further thanked "
from the bottom of his heart
" Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich - under UK and EU sanctions - for his role in freeing the five Britons, who been able to return to their country after an exchange of prisoners favored by Saudi mediation.
