Shmyhal opposed ban on telephone communication for captured Russians, as it facilitates surrender
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal did not support a petition in which Ukrainians demanded that Russian prisoners of war be denied the right to telephone communications. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers argued that such phone calls are important so that Russians are not afraid to surrender.
This is stated in the response to the petition on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers, Censor.NET reports.
The petition demanding to ban Russian prisoners from calling home was registered by lawyer Inna Turova. According to her, in Russia, captured Ukrainians are deprived of the opportunity to call their families, which is why their families do not receive any information. The lawyer demanded appropriate conditions for the captives of the Russian invaders.
Shmyhal's response states that telephone conversations between the occupiers and their families "perform an important informative function, providing objective information to the Russians that they should not be afraid to surrender, as Ukraine complies with all the provisions of the Convention and ensures proper conditions for the detention of prisoners of war."
According to the prime minister, this will make Russians more willing to surrender. This, in turn, will allow Ukraine to release more of its defenders who are in Russian captivity.
Shmyhal also noted that phone calls are provided to Russian prisoners according to the daily schedule in their free time, when they are not working, investigating or participating in court hearings. The camp administration can limit the duration of one conversation to 15 minutes.
In addition, the Prime Minister referred to the provisions of the Geneva Convention, which Ukraine adheres to. They stipulate that prisoners of war have the right to correspondence. Shmyhal also mentioned the commentary of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which states that the state holding prisoners should also consider using more modern means of communication, such as phone calls, video calls, recorded messages and e-mail.
Earlier it was reported that the petition demanding to deprive Russian prisoners of war of the right to telephone communication gained 25 thousand votes.
