Aiden Aslin

Aiden Aslin is a British-Ukrainian[3] national and current Ukrainian Marine[4] who previously fought with the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) militia in Rojava, northern Syria.[5] His nom de guerre is "Rojhat Rojava" and he served in the Lions of Rojava group which is a part of the YPG.[6] In 2018 he travelled to Ukraine and enlisted on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[7] In April 2022, he was captured by Russian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Aiden Aslin
Nickname(s)Rojhat Rojava. Johnny Wood. Cossack Gundi. [1][2]
BornNewark, Nottinghamshire, England
Allegiance Rojava
 Ukraine
Service/branch
Years of service2018–present (Ukraine)
2015–2016 (YPG)
Battles/wars

Early life and military service

Aslin was born in 1994 in Newark, Nottinghamshire,[8][9] and is a former care worker.[10] He travelled to Syria in April 2015, where he spent approximately 10 months with the YPG before returning 3 February 2016[11] and was arrested upon arrival.[12] During his first tour Aslin served in Tel Abyad[6] and the defence of al-Hasakah, during which a deal was reached allowing the pro-government forces to surrender their positions;[13] he also participated in the al Hawl operation.[14]

Aslin was the first foreign fighter to be investigated by the UK police,[15] and gained the support of the public as well as politicians in protesting against his treatment by Nottinghamshire Police.[16] Aslin was questioned under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of engaging “in the preparation to fight against Daesh” and possessing “articles for terrorist purposes in Iraq/Syria”.[10] He was eventually acquitted and returned to Syria for a second tour of duty with the YPG in 2016.[17] Aslin repeatedly called on the international community to do more in the fight against terrorism by supporting the YPG and the Kurdish struggle.[18]

Ukraine

In 2018, Aslin joined the Ukrainian regular military,[7] and since the Russian invasion he was defending the city of Mariupol.[19] On 12 April Aslin announced on Twitter that he had "no choice but to surrender to Russian forces" in Mariupol, after his unit reportedly was running out of ammunition, and he was unable to escape from the city.[20] On 14 April, in Russian captivity, he appeared in a video in handcuffs and appeared to have been beaten up, as he appeared to have a head injury, swollen hands and was slurring his words.[21][22] The Telegraph said in a video recorded shortly before he was captured by Russian forces, he did not have a head injury.[22] On 18 April, Aslin was interviewed in captivity by British expat journalist Graham Phillips, who has often been accused of having a pro-Russian view and was banned from Ukraine.[23][24] British barrister Geoffrey Robertson said the interview could be a violation of international law, saying "coercive interrogation of prisoners of war for propaganda purposes is contrary to the Geneva Conventions".[25]

Aslin has been accused of being a mercenary (a person who fights in foreign militaries for financial gain),[26] and as such not protected by the Geneva Conventions which provide protection to soldiers who are prisoners of war but not mercenaries. However, as a serving member of the regular Ukrainian armed forces, he does not meet the legal definition of mercenary.[27][28]

Concerns about Aslin's treatment were raised in the UK parliament, during Prime Minister's Questions, by Robert Jenrick, the MP for his home town of Newark.[29] On 30 April, the prosecutor for the Donetsk People’s Republic said that Aslin was a mercenary and may face the death penalty for alleged crimes against the republic.[30]

Personal life

Aslin's fiancée is Ukrainian.[4]

References
  1. https://twitter.com/cossackgundi
  2. https://reaperfeed.com/interview-british-fighter-donbass-cossack-gundi/
  3. "Aiden Aslin: Family appeal for safety of Briton 'captured in Ukraine'". BBC News. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022. Mr Aslin has a Ukrainian fiancée and now has dual citizenship, after moving to Ukraine in 2018.
  4. "Newark's Aiden Aslin is alive but he may still be in besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  5. "Man who fought IS arrested at airport". BBC News. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  6. Barbarani, Sofia (6 July 2015). "Syria: Anti-Isis Westerners fighting for Kurds disillusioned with YPG's 'school trip with guns' tactics". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. "'What we signed up for': British soldier returns to Ukrainian Army unit to prepare for Russian invasion".
  8. Wylie, Catherine (12 September 2017). "Man who claimed to want to fight ISIS arrested over terrorism". nottinghampost. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  9. Olimpia Zagnat (20 April 2022). "Aiden Aslin's mum just wants her 'hero' son back home after he was captured by Russians". nottinghampost.
  10. Blake, Matt (11 September 2017). "Man who joined Kurdish militia to fight Isis in Syria arrested in UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  11. "THE FORGOTTEN FOREIGN FIGHTERS" (PDF).
  12. "Freedom fighter says he is living in exile". Newark Advertiser. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  13. "Syria: YPG launches assault to take all of Hasaka". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  14. Orton, Kyle. "The Forgotten Foreign Fighters: The PKK in Syria" (PDF).
  15. "Briton who joined Kurds to fight ISIS faces terrorism charges - ARA News". ARA News. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  16. Johns, Ryan (17 May 2016). "Protest held in support of Notts man facing terrorism investigation - Notts TV News | The heart of Nottingham news coverage for Notts TV". Notts TV News | The heart of Nottingham news coverage for Notts TV. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  17. "What You Can't Say Anymore: 'I Fought Against ISIS'". The Jackson Press. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  18. "YPG volunteer from the UK calls for support for the Kurdish struggle". ANF News. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  19. "British fighter Aiden Aslin survives raids in Mariupol". Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  20. George, Grylls; Parker, Charlie (12 April 2022). "Briton Aiden Aslin 'surrenders' in Mariupol as he runs out of food". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  21. Parker, Charlie (14 April 2022). "British soldier Aiden Aslin handcuffed and beaten up days after Russian capture". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  22. Kilner, James (15 April 2022). "Captured Briton Aiden Aslin seen moments before surrender without head injury visible on Russian TV". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  23. "Russia uses pro-Kremlin Briton to interview captured fighter Aiden Aslin in propaganda war". inews.co.uk. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  24. Capurro, Daniel; Bowman, Verity (19 April 2022). "Who is Graham Phillips, the ex-Whitehall civil servant now pushing Russian propaganda?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  25. "YouTube blogger 'in danger of committing war crime' over propaganda interview of British POW in Ukraine". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  26. "Mercenary". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 20 April 2018. one that serves merely for wages; especially a soldier hired into foreign service.
  27. Parker, Charlie (14 April 2022). "Captured Briton is handcuffed and beaten up by Russians". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 April 2022. The soldier’s apparent abuse has prompted his family and friends to accuse Russia of committing war crimes by violating the Geneva Convention, which outlaws harming prisoners of war … Supporters of Russia on social media have falsely claimed that Aslin is a foreign mercenary, which would prevent him from receiving protection under the convention. This is untrue as he is a member of the Ukrainian army.
  28. Bowman, Verity (14 April 2022). "A mother's anguish as British fighter Aiden Aslin captured by Russians in Ukraine". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  29. "Aiden Aslin: Family's 'distress' at video of captured Briton". BBC News. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  30. Lloyd Parry, Richard (3 May 2022). "British fighters and aid worker captured in Ukraine could face death penalty". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
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