Russia’s gruesome beheading videos not to affect way Ukraine treats POWs - Ombudsman
This was stated by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, who spoke in an interview with RFE/RL, Ukrinform reports.
"It won’t affect anything. Ukraine fully complies with the Geneva Convention. We have a separate camp for the Russian prisoners of war. My team regularly visits, as do representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, international experts, and even international journalists," Lubinets said.
Ukraine shows as openly as possible that it is different from the Russian Federation and that it abides by its obligations, protecting the rights of prisoners of war, "even those who came to kill us," said Lubinets.
The ombudsman added that before each POW exchange round, his staff speak with the Russian POWs about to be released.
"We look at their condition, whether they have any mental issues. Everyone says all’s fine and that they’ve been treated decently," he assured.
Lubinets noted that it got to the point that one Russian serviceman, who was a POW in Ukraine, publicly said during an interview on Russian TV that everything was perfect in Ukraine, that they were given enough food, that they were able to exercise, and that they had there is always an opportunity to be in contact with their family.
Lubinets expressed outrage over the fact that, according to ICRC, Russians held in captivity can contact their relatives at any time, while Ukrainian POWs held by Russia get no such opportunity.
"We are once again convinced that there is no system for protecting the rights of prisoners of war on the territory of Russia. And something must be done about it. This must be done urgently," he believes.
Regarding the mechanisms for the protection of Ukrainian POWs, Lubinets said that the Russian Federation was showing the whole world that it didn’t comply with the Geneva Convention, the UN Charter, and conventions on the fight against terrorism, all ratified by Russia.
"It is showing the whole world that it couldn’t care less about its obligations. And, unfortunately, we have no system for protecting human rights, including the rights of military personnel. This must be recognized," said Lubinets.
He believes that the UN should address the issue.
As reported, two videos showing the execution of Ukrainian defenders appeared on social media. The Security Service of Ukraine launched a pre-trial investigation. Law enforcement are taking measures to identify those complicit in the atrocities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court with a demand for urgent attention to the executions in the context of the investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian invaders in Ukraine.
For her part, the German Ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen, said that Germany will make every effort to restore justice and bring Russian war criminals to justice for what was committed in Ukraine.
