Ukrainian defenders released from Russian captivity tell about violations of their rights

During the exchange of prisoners of war, which took place on the night of June 25, representatives of the Russian Ombudsman’s Office arrived for the first time to record possible human rights violations.

During the joint work, representatives of the two offices interviewed the released Russian and Ukrainian prisoners, said Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

«Former Russian prisoners of war spoke about the conditions of their detention: they thanked us for the delicious bread, medical care, the opportunity to make phone calls to relatives, correspondence, and general compliance with the Geneva Conventions.

The Ukrainian defenders, in turn, described their conditions of detention, which do not comply with the Geneva Conventions», — the statement said.

The parties discussed several issues related to the conditions of detention of civilians and soldiers, as well as the continuation of the initiative to exchange letters on both sides.

«The Russian side has recorded the reported violations, so I hope that the office of the Russian Ombudsman will make every effort to ensure that the conditions of detention of prisoners of war improve and align with the clearly defined Geneva Conventions», — Lubinets said.

As reported, Ukraine has returned 90 more of its defenders from Russian captivity, including the defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Thirty-two National Guardsmen, 18 border guards, 17 representatives of the Navy, 15 members of the Armed Forces, and 8 territorial defense members have returned home.

Later, the State Border Guard Service released a photo of the released border guards receiving medical care.