ICRC did not visit captive Ukrainian POWs in Russia, ombudsman says
Read also: Red Cross chief to visit Russia to discuss increasing access to Ukrainian POWs
According to Lubinets, not a single member of the recently-freed Ukrainian POWs ever met with ICRC representatives during their internment in Russia.
“I think ICRC has failed to fulfill its mandate, and we ought to say so publicly,” said Lubinets.
Read also: Ukraine returns 215 people from Russian captivity, including Azovstal defenders
“Their mandate should compel the aggressor state to fulfill its obligations under the Geneva Convention.”
The ombudsman noted that ICRC officials were present when Mariupol defenders surrendered to Russian forces, and therefore were responsible for ensuring these POWs were treated in accordance with international law.
Read also: “Information Ramstein”, Or How to Win the Information War
Lubinets is expected to meet with ICRC in Geneva, Switzerland, in early October.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged POWs on Sept. 22, with 215 Mariupol defenders being swapped for 55 Russian soldiers and Viktor Medvedchuk – a fugitive pro-Russian politician and personal friend of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine