Russia asks Red Cross to help find Russian PoWs in Ukraine
Iryna Balanchuk — Friday, 4 March 2022, 09:37
Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for help in finding Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine and providing assistance to them.
Source: Russian Ombudsperson’s website
Quote: "Moskalkovskaya appealed to Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Florance Gillette, Chief of Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine, to protect the rights of Russian prisoners of war who have been captured in Ukraine, asking for assistance in locating them and in ensuring their rights under international law, including the right to medical care."
Details: The Russian Ombudsperson’s website also reported that Moskalkova had appealed to the Ukrainian Ombudsperson Ludmyla Denysova and urged her to "make all possible efforts to prevent torture" of the Russian prisoners of war.
Why this is important: Russian soldiers sent to fight in Ukraine have been surrendering. Ukraine has provided them with medical assistance and an opportunity to call their families. Ukraine is also collecting data on the prisoners of war and is publishing it on a specially-designated website, so that their families can find their children, parents, and grandchildren. During calls to their relatives, prisoners say they are treated well, provided with medical care, fed and kept warm. This is all documented in photos and videos.
At the same time, Russia has been blocking access to this information for its citizens. Ukraine’s websites publishing photos and videos of those captured and killed in action in Ukraine are being blocked, while the Russian government is not appearing to make any efforts to repatriate the bodies of its soldiers. The Russian state-controlled media are broadcasting propaganda messages about "Nazis and drug addicts ruling Ukraine" and clamp down on those who protest against the war.
Background:
- On the night of 24 February, Russia attacked Ukraine. It is now launching missiles at residential areas across the entire country.
- Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior has launched a website 200rf.com, that publishes photos and documents of the Russian troops captured and killed in action in Ukraine, so that their relatives can find them.
- The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has also opened a hotline for parents, wives and grandparents of Russian soldiers.
- Russia blocked 200rf.com but its citizens could still access the information through the designated Telegram channel. However, on 3 March, Roskomnadzor demanded that Telegram delete the service.
- In Ulan-Ude, a woman stood up in a one-person protest, unfolding a poster that said "No to War", having found out that her son Sergey Ochirov had become a POW in Ukraine.
