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Ukrainian war prisoners subjected to forced labor by Russian troops in Luhansk region – human rights’ ombudsperson
In what comes as another violation of the Geneva conventions on treatment of war prisoners, Russia is subjecting Ukrainian war prisoners to forced labor in occupied Luhank region, said human rights’ ombudsperson Ludmyla Denysova. In a statement on Friday, she referred to footage that emerged on social media showing Ukrainian POWs at some location collecting […]
Friday, 20 May 2022, 12:59

In what comes as another violation of the Geneva conventions on treatment of war prisoners, Russia is subjecting Ukrainian war prisoners to forced labor in occupied Luhank region, said human rights’ ombudsperson Ludmyla Denysova.

In a statement on Friday, she referred to footage that emerged on social media showing Ukrainian POWs at some location collecting bodies of their fellow soldiers. It can be alleged that  the Ukrainians were made to tell they were working on their own will.

‘The occupiers argue that bodies of Ukrainian warriors will be kept for ‘establishing a dialogue’ with Ukraine, or until their relatives themselves will come to collect them,’ wrote Denisova, noting  that subjecting war prisoners to forced labor is a violation of Third Geneva Convention (articles 49,52).

To make thing worse, the Ukrainian captives were made to act in the humiliating video, and that comes as the  violation of article 13 of the Convention banning inhumane treatment of POWs.

The human rights’ ombudsperson called on the UN Human Rights’ Council to add these facts to the growing list of crimes against humanity committed by  Russia in its aggression against Ukraine.

 

Tags: human rights ombudsman, prisoners of war, war crimes