17 October 2022, Monday, 11:41 391

Red Cross expects RF to provide access to captured Ukrainians and security guarantees for its employees

Редактор: Roman Vaniyan

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) still has not received permission to visit captured servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the occupied territory of the Donetsk Region, including in the colony in Olenivka.

This is stated on the official website of the ICRC.

The organization reported that eleven employees of the ICRC, including one doctor, have been on standby for several months to visit places of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Nevertheless, the Red Cross has still not received even the minimum security guarantees on the ground and permission from the occupation authorities.

"Today, the ICRC still does not have unimpeded and permanent access to all prisoners of war in this international armed conflict. And this is despite almost eight months of persistent demands by our groups to visit all places of detention and internment," the message reads.

The Red Cross also emphasized that accusing the organization of not being able to visit prisoners "will not help either the prisoners of war or their families."

The organization added that the government of the country holding the prisoners of war (in this case, Russia) can change the situation.

"It is they who are obliged to treat them humanely in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and give the ICRC access to all of them," the statement said.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on September 5, ICRC General Director Robert Mardini stated in an interview with Ukrainian mass media that the Red Cross is unable to guarantee the safety of Ukrainian prisoners.

And at the end of September, it became known that none of the Ukrainian soldiers released from captivity had seen representatives of the Red Cross during their time in captivity.

We also reported that on October 10, the Red Cross denied the information disseminated by the media that the organization was allegedly suspending its activities in Ukraine.