Russia and Ukraine Arrange Reciprocal Visits to Prisoners of War
Dragon Media News Desk
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova has said that Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia were visited as part of efforts to monitor their conditions.
Speaking to the Russian news agency TASS, Lantratova said the human rights commissioners of Russia and Ukraine had established a reciprocal mechanism allowing each side to visit prisoners of war held by the other.
Under the arrangement, Lantratova visits Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia, while Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets visits Russian prisoners held in Ukraine. The process is intended to assess their treatment, living conditions, access to basic necessities and respect for their rights.
Lantratova said the two sides had also agreed to facilitate the exchange of letters and parcels sent by prisoners’ families and to assist in providing necessary documents to the families of deceased servicemen.
According to her, the offices of the two human rights commissioners also exchange lists of missing servicemen and verify whether the individuals concerned are being held as prisoners. Confirmed information is subsequently forwarded to the defence ministries and other relevant authorities.
Lantratova said that since her appointment as human rights commissioner, 550 Russian servicemen had returned home through prisoner exchanges, while Russia had transferred an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
She added that Russia and Ukraine were preparing separate lists for a new exchange of military personnel and civilians. The possible date of the exchange has not been disclosed, as making it public could affect the negotiations.
The 1949 Third Geneva Convention guarantees prisoners of war the right to humane treatment, medical care, contact with their families and independent monitoring. Both Russia and Ukraine are bound by international obligations to protect the safety and rights of prisoners held under their control.
