Ukrainian soldiers freed from russian captivity lament the lack of visits by international organizations

Former Ukrainian servicemen recently released from russian captivity have revealed that they were not visited by representatives of international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, during their time in detention.

At a discussion hosted by the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform, analysts from the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) shared insights gleaned from testimonies of prisoners who were exchanged.

“Throughout our documentation of war crimes, we in MIHR consistently interview released captives about their experiences while detained, both in occupied territories and in russia. Key recurring inquiries included whether they had received visits from international organizations, particularly the Red Cross, and if they had witnessed any deaths of prisoners of war. The response to the first question was invariably negative, as russia prohibits Red Cross representatives from accessing Ukrainian POWs. Consequently, she stressed the lack of oversight and control over the conditions faced by these captives,” explained Maria Klymyk, MIHR journalist.

Regarding whether the released individuals witnessed the deaths of fellow prisoners, responses were largely affirmative. Many either directly witnessed such incidents or learned of them from fellow detainees or through accounts shared during swaps.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news