Red Cross: Russia Has Denied Us Access to Ukrainian Prisoners of War for Two Years

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters on Friday that Russia has for two years denied it access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russian prisons.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are believed to be held in Russian detention centers, where United Nations investigators have gathered evidence of systematic torture of prisoners.

The 1949 Geneva Conventions require the Red Cross, headquartered in Switzerland, to visit prisoners of war to monitor conditions, treatment, food and medical care. Russia denies torturing detainees.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric raised the issue during her visit to Russia last month. On Friday, she told the BBC: “If you want to support humanity, you have to talk about detention and what happens in prison.”

The treatment of prisoners of war remains one of the most sensitive points of the conflict, as efforts to exchange prisoners continue between Kyiv and Moscow.

Source: Reuters