Mission to rescue: what is happening in Russian captivity and how to prevent the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers
Source: MIHR
The issue of captivity is complex and sensitive. For at least the past five years, MIHR has been addressing this issue with the families of captives, released captives, government officials, the international community, and Ukrainian society. It is extremely important for us to emphasize that stories of captivity are not just another set of numbers in the overall statistics of those held by Russia; they are human lives. We document not only cases of abuse in Russian captivity but also the deaths of Ukrainian servicemen resulting from beatings, torture, serious illnesses, and the denial of medical care in detention facilities in the occupied territories of Ukraine and on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is not easy to speak about each of these cases, yet it is very important. We are convinced that clarifying the causes and circumstances of deaths in Russian captivity offers an opportunity to implement preventive measures to protect Ukrainian prisoners of war, so that every family can await the return of their loved one from captivity.
In this study, we deliberately selected the most egregious violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war to demonstrate the consequences of the Russian Federation’s actions. In this way, we not only document evidence of these violations and crimes but also help bring those responsible to justice, mobilize the ICRC and the international community to put pressure on Russia, and prevent its crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
View the document ➚
The issue of captivity is complex and sensitive. For at least the past five years, MIHR has been addressing this issue with the families of captives, released captives, government officials, the international community, and Ukrainian society. It is extremely important for us to emphasize that stories of captivity are not just another set of numbers in the overall statistics of those held by Russia; they are human lives. We document not only cases of abuse in Russian captivity but also the deaths of Ukrainian servicemen resulting from beatings, torture, serious illnesses, and the denial of medical care in detention facilities in the occupied territories of Ukraine and on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is not easy to speak about each of these cases, yet it is very important. We are convinced that clarifying the causes and circumstances of deaths in Russian captivity offers an opportunity to implement preventive measures to protect Ukrainian prisoners of war, so that every family can await the return of their loved one from captivity.
In this study, we deliberately selected the most egregious violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war to demonstrate the consequences of the Russian Federation’s actions. In this way, we not only document evidence of these violations and crimes but also help bring those responsible to justice, mobilize the ICRC and the international community to put pressure on Russia, and prevent its crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
View the document ➚
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