A British captive fighter who has been sentenced to death in a pro-Putin rogue state has been forced to sing the Russian national anthem on state TV.
Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were fighting with the Ukrainian Army, had been defending the city of Mariupol when they were captured by Vladimir Putin ’s forces in April.
They, along with another defendant, Moroccan Brahim Saadoun, were sentenced last month after what Western politicians described as a show trial by the pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The disturbing footage has been shown on shown on pro-Putin Telegram channels and appears to have been made by propaganda channel RT.
Aslin is urged to sing by US exile John Mark Dougan, a former American cop who works for Russian propaganda outfit Sputnik International.
“I have goosebumps man,” said Dougan.
“That was f***ing amazing.”
Aslin - appealing a sentence by a kangaroo court in the DPR - replied: “Really?”
Dougan replied: “Absolutely. You’ve got the talent, man. On that note dude, thanks. Amazing voice.”
It's believed Aslin is being held in a detention centre in Donetsk.
Aslin and fellow British fighter Shaun Pinner, 48, are appealing against their death sentences.
Their relatives say they are soldiers who were under contract to the Ukrainian army and are therefore entitled to the protection of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
It comes after another British captive Paul Urey, 45, died in suspicious circumstances while incarcerated in Donetsk.
Claims have emerged that he was “tortured” while under pressure from Putin’s FSB security service and prison officials.
Urey died on Sunday "due to illness and stress", the Ombudsman of the DPR Daria Morozova claimed on her Telegram social media channel.
His devastated mum Linda said: “The International Red Cross are trying to get his body home to us. It’s a waiting game, I’m afraid.”
And she added of her torment: “My chest is feeling like it’s going to explode.”
