Russian PoWs in Ukraine banned from calling home

Ukraine has stopped Russian prisoners of war from making calls to Russia; they are now only allowed to send letters.

Source: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner, on the national 24/7 newscast

Details: Lubinets noted that "more and more often, the Russians are killing Ukrainian prisoners of war, as documented not only by international organisations, but also by Ukrainian representatives". He believes that this is being encouraged by the Russian Federation's senior leadership.

There are four special camps for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, and the conditions there comply with the Geneva Conventions.

Quote: "To be honest, we are adjusting a few things. For example, there has been a lot of discussion about Russian prisoners of war being able to contact their relatives in the Russian Federation. Our position is very straightforward: under the Geneva Conventions, there is a right to correspondence, not [necessarily] phone calls.

As of today, we’ve been informed that the Russians [PoWs] can still write letters, but they can no longer make phone calls."

Background: 

• CNN released a video showing Russian troops apparently executing three Ukrainian soldiers after they had surrendered on the Pokrovsk front.
• On 3 September, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported that Russian forces had shot three Ukrainian prisoners of war on the Toretsk front.

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