Ombudsman accuses ICRC of sharing false information on detention conditions of Ukrainian POWs

The Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament, Dmytro Lubinets, said that the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Russia manipulated information on visits by the organizations’ representatives to Ukrainian POWs in an interview with Russian propagandists.

However, Lubinets noted that in conversations with Ukrainian defenders who had been returned from Russian captivity, he learned that the vast majority had neither seen nor communicated with ICRC representatives during their detention.

“I discovered from the media that the head of the ICRC delegation in Russia gave an interview to Russian propagandists. In it, the head of the delegation claimed that ICRC employees in Ukraine and Russia visited 3,100 prisoners of war.

However, he did not specify how many visits occurred separately in each country. The reason for this is that virtually all of these visits were to Russian prisoners held by Ukraine, as our country steadfastly adheres to the requirements of the Geneva Conventions,” said Lubinets.

He reminded that during the last prisoner exchange, which took place on 17 July, Russian representatives told Ombudsman Office employees that human rights delegations frequently visited Ukrainian POWs at detention sites. However, when asked to specify the names of the organizations, no answer could be heard from them.

“Moreover, during meetings with the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war, ICRC representatives, under the guise of neutrality, suggest that ‘both sides’ should grant access to the organization’s representatives. They forget to add that it is specifically the Russian side that should change its practice of denying ICRC workers access to places where Ukrainian prisoners are held,” emphasized the Ukrainian ombudsman.

He urged the ICRC to provide media with true numbers of visits to Ukrainian POWs and not deceive the most respected category of people in Ukraine – their families. Lubinets also called on the organization to be courageous and persistent in addressing the issue of visiting Ukrainian prisoners.

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