Ukraine has made changes to the conditions of detention of Russian prisoners of war who are on the territory of the country, although they all remain within the limits of international law, in particular the Geneva Conventions. This was stated by Dmytro Lubinets, the human rights representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, during the broadcast of the national telethon.
In particular, from now on, captured Russian servicemen will be prohibited from making phone calls from Ukraine. Lubinets clarified that this decision was made after long discussions regarding the possibility of prisoners to contact their relatives in Russia. However, according to the ombudsman, the right to telephone calls has now been removed, although other possibilities, such as writing letters, remain available in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Conventions.
The ombudsman explained that four special camps for the detention of Russian prisoners of war currently operate in Ukraine, and all conditions of their detention meet international standards. Lubinets emphasized that Ukraine cannot afford to treat prisoners the way Russia does, hinting at Russia’s violation of the rights of prisoners of war. At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine strives to adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law, even when it brings certain difficulties.
One of the main points that became the subject of discussions was the possibility of prisoners to make calls to their relatives in Russia. Lubinets recalled that the position of the Office of the Ombudsman was clear: the Geneva Conventions guarantee the right to correspondence, but not to telephone calls. In this regard, in order to ensure compliance with international standards, it was decided to preserve the right to correspondence for Russian prisoners, but deny them the opportunity to make telephone calls. Thus, the Ukrainian side clearly follows the principles of the Geneva Conventions, but at the same time introduces restrictions that, according to the authorities, are justified in the conditions of a military conflict.
These changes are a response to the challenges of holding large numbers of prisoners of war and underscore Ukraine’s desire to adhere to humanitarian law while adapting its approaches to the realities of war.
