Ukraine has deprived Russian prisoners of war of the right to call their relatives because of the increasing number of cases of execution of Ukrainian defenders, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said during a telethon.
"We are changing some things, for example, there have been many discussions about the possibility of Russian prisoners of war to call their relatives in Russia. As of now, we have been informed that the Russians still have the opportunity to write letters, but they no longer have the right to make phone calls," the ombudsman said.
Lubinets added that there are four camps with Russian prisoners in Ukraine. They all follow the rules of the Geneva Convention.
The ban on making calls does not violate the Geneva Convention. The document only allows prisoners to correspond.
Lubinets reminded that the Geneva Convention specifies letters, not phone calls, as a way to communicate with relatives.
- The Russian military has been increasingly executing captured Ukrainian soldiers along the entire frontline, with the Russian command apparently approving of these war crimes.
- Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets will appeal to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross in connection with the latest execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russians.