OSCE PA leaders condemn Russia for treating Ukrainian prisoners of war: 95% of released persons point to torture
The leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, including President Pia Kauma, "strongly condemned" the systematic violations of international law, laws, and customs of war by the Russian Federation.
This is stated on the website of the OSCE PA, Censor.NET reports.
"The leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in particular President Pia Kauma (Finland), members of the Ukrainian support group and the leadership of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, today expressed serious concern about the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian Federation. UN reports indicate that more than 95% of the released prisoners of war testify to violations of their conditions of detention, including torture, lack of medical care, and forced confessions," the statement said.
It is noted that Ukrainian prisoners of war were subjected to starvation, denial of medical care, beatings for using the Ukrainian language, and various forms of coercion, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence. The OSCE PA leaders noted that the verified evidence, including a photo of a Ukrainian soldier released from captivity with severe scars and the words "glory to Russia" engraved on his body, testifies to the horrific conditions faced by prisoners of war.
Thus, in their statement, the leaders of the OSCE PA said: "We strongly condemn the systematic violations by the Russian Federation of international law, the laws and customs of war, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949) and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relative to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (1977)."
They called on "all parties to comply with the Geneva Conventions, to ensure humane treatment of prisoners of war and accountability for war crimes."
"We support the efforts of the mediators involved in the exchange of prisoners of war, including the exchange of all for all. In addition, we call on the international community to support the safe return of all Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war from Russian captivity," the OSCE PA leaders said.
