More than a hundred people gathered in Nottingham's Old Market Square calling for the release of Nottinghamshire man Aiden Aslin, fellow Briton Shaun Pinner and Moroccan national Saadoun Brahim. The three men were sentenced to death after being captured fighting for Ukrainian forces.
Family of Aiden Aslin were in attendance at the protest on Sunday, June 26, and his grandma Pam Hall was one of the speakers, as well as Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome. The protest was organised by the Nottingham Solidarity with Ukraine Campaign to help people stand together in solidarity with the families of Aiden, Shaun and Saadoun, as well as others currently helping in Ukraine.
One of the organisers of the protest, Tim Porter, said: "The event today is about showing support for Aiden's family and trying to raise awareness and to push the UK government to take some kind of action." He referred to the Government's plans to support Ukraine officials, and said: "Ukraine has its own problems right now and these are British citizens and they deserve the protection of the British government."
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Nottingham resident Sonia Ball, 64, was one of the many people showing her support at the protest. She said: "We feel that we should support his family."
Another protestor, Roweena Kinrade, 44, of The Isle of Man, was in Nottingham visiting friends but decided to take part in the protest once she found out it was happening. She said: "I'm just passing through Nottingham, but I'm fully in support of it."
A series of speakers spoke during the protest, sharing their views on why they are taking part in the protest and the situation in Ukraine. This included Katya Malrseua and Irina Holliday, who are Russians against the war, and Sacha Ismail from the national Ukraine Solidarity Campaign.
Cleaner Helen Wilkinson, 47, of Balderton, was taking part in the protest with her family. She said: "I've come from Newark where Aiden comes from. We are here to ask the Donetsk People's Republic (where the trio's show trial was held) for mercy for three soldiers who are not mercenaries.
Helen added: "We hope they make the right decision to show mercy and do the right thing." Others supporting the protest included University of Nottingham students, Sam Connor, 24, Dominic Nolan, 28 and Connor Baird, 23.
Dominic said: "We found out about this yesterday. We are here to learn as well, there's a lot of people here." Sam added: "Learning about things that might not end up in the news."
In the short talk given by Nadia Whittome, the MP said: "We stand in complete solidarity with Aiden's family and all families involved by this. I will be raising this with his MP, Robert Jenrick."
She continued: "The reason government has said that Aiden has a month to appeal and we are now in the last week of that month." Aiden's grandma Pam Hall has previously spoke about this approaching deadline to the BBC, telling them "time's running out."
In addition to people from across Nottinghamshire, residents in the city from Hong Kong as well as Ukrainian refugees took part in the protest. A poem was read by Yeva, a young girl who had come across with her mum from Ukraine, followed by the protesting ending with chants of "victory to Ukraine" and "free Aiden Aslin."
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