PACE adopts first resolution concerning Ukrainian civilian and military POWs

The PACE at its autumn session in Strasbourg on Wednesday adopted a resolution in which the Council of Europe for the first time raised the issue of the release and further rehabilitation of Ukrainian prisoners and demanded that Russia comply with the provisions of international humanitarian law.

The resolution entitled "Missing persons, prisoners of war and civilians in captivity as a result of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine" was unanimously supported by all 74 deputies present in the hall, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The Assembly calls on the Council of Europe to ensure that this topic remains high on the international political agenda of all Council of Europe member states and calls for further pressure to be put on Russia to ensure the proper treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian captivity in line with international humanitarian law and human rights standards, their prompt release, their socio-medical rehabilitation, and the accountability of the Russian Federation and the perpetrators of the crimes committed against these persons.

"The Assembly would encourage the establishment of a more permanent mechanism for the exchange or the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian captives in the Russian Federation or in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, with the active involvement of the ICRC and other relevant stakeholders," the document reads.

PACE supports the idea of an "all for all" exchange, that is, a comprehensive swap that would involve both parties exchanging all captured individuals, without leaving anyone behind.

The document emphasizes that "torture used by the Russian authorities in the Russian Federation and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine has been widespread and systematic."

The document also reminds the Committee of Ministers that "partner States, including Council of Europe member States, may introduce packages of international targeted sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the unlawful deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians."

The Assembly is convinced that Interpol could play an effective role in the search for war criminals who committed crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians.

PACE believes that "the Council of Europe and its member States could play an important role in providing both expertise and financial support to such an initiative, to which frozen assets of the Russian Federation might also be dedicated."

A separate item in the resolution mentions that Ukrainian journalists and imprisoned Crimean Tatars remain unlawfully detained in appalling conditions by the Russian Federation.

"The Assembly underlines that the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea remains particularly difficult, and urges its members to engage their governments, civil society, and media networks to raise awareness of the plight of Ukrainian journalists," the resolution reads.

The resolution also states that as of September 18, 2024, a total of 65,956 servicemen and civilians were registered as missing or captured, among which 50,916 registered as missing based on verified data.

"In reality, the number of victims is much higher. The suffering and fear are endured not only by the captives themselves, be they servicemen or civilians, but also by their relatives. While 3 672 persons have been returned from Russian captivity between 24 February 2022 and 17 September 2024, including 168 Ukrainian civilians, the Assembly notes with concern that among those released, a third of them had been hitherto considered as missing, since the Russian Federation had failed to provide timely information about their fate, contrary to its international obligations," the document reads.