Prime Minister Boris Johnson responds to plight of Newark man Aiden Aslin captured by Russia in Ukraine

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has responded to the plight of a Newark man and now-Russian prisoner of war for the first time.

At Prime Minister's Questions today, Newark MP Robert Jenrick spoke of Aiden Aslin's capture and the disturbing videos of him being paraded on Russian state TV and YouTube that followed.

Mr Jenrick reminded MPs of the Geneva Convention and that many war crimes had been committed in relation to Aiden.

"My constituent Aiden Aslin has served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces for four years, last week he was captured by the Russian army in Mariupol," Mr Jenrick told the House of Commons.

"Yesterday, a video emerged of my constituent handcuffed, physically injured and being interviewed under duress for propaganda purposes.

"Would my right honourable friend agree with me that this is a flagrant breach of the Geneva Convention, that treating any prisoner of war in this manner is illegal, and that the interviewer Graham Phillips is in danger of prosecution for war crimes — and that any online platform, such as YouTube which hosts propaganda videos of this kind, should take them down immediately?"

Mr Johnson said Aiden should be treated humanely and that he is not mercenary.

He said: "I thank my right honourable friend very much and I'd like to urge the Russian state to treat his constituent humanely and compassionately because in my view, although we do not encourage people — in fact we actively disuade people from going into that theatre of conflict — I understand he had been serving in the Ukrainian forces for some time and his situation was very different to that of a mercenary.

"I hope he is treated with care and compassion and thoroughly echo the sentiments my right honourable friend suggests about those who broadcast propaganda messages."

A chorus of hear, hears followed.