The Russian occupiers are taking massive numbers of civilians hostage — Vereshchuk
DENYS KARLOVSKYI — WEDNESDAY, 6 APRIL 2022, 15:54
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says the Russian occupiers are capturing massive numbers of peaceful Ukrainians, but international humanitarian law prohibits the exchange of Russian prisoners of war for Ukrainian civilians.
Source: Vereshchuk, on air during the national 24/7 newscast on the Freedom UA channel
Quote from Vereshchuk: "We have many civilians held hostage - mayors, journalists, volunteers, priests, women who worked as shop assistants - people who have never taken up arms. Today they are held hostage by terrorists. And we don’t have anyone to exchange them for.
I ask the people I'm negotiating with: ‘Do we need to capture Russians all over the world and put them up as an exchange fund?! How can we make you release our journalists and our priests?
What can we do - we are a civilized country, not pirates, not terrorists. We can't capture civilians’."
Details: The Minister explained that the Geneva Conventions prohibit the exchange of war prisoners for civilians. Therefore, the Russians are deliberately committing war crimes by taking Ukrainian civilians hostage.
Vereshchuk appealed to international human rights organisations to help Ukraine put pressure on Russia to release the journalists, priests and ordinary Ukrainians being held hostage.
According to her, about 600 Russian prisoners-of-war are currently being held captive in Ukraine.
Background:
- Ukrainian defenders who have been released from Russian captivity said they had been tortured and humiliated by Russian invaders, including firing off shots next to their ears and beating them with rifle butts.
- According to Vereshchuk, as of 3 April, 11 Ukrainian village heads are being held in Russian captivity
- International organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, don’t have access to Ukrainian prisoners.
- On 1 April, Ukrainian authorities conducted an 86 for 86 prisoner exchange. On 24 March, Ukrainian authorities carried out a 10 for 10 exchange of prisoners of war with a Russian representative.
