“We reiterate that we will never stop demanding access to all prisoners of war,” an ICRC spokesman told AFP.
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kyiv denounced Tuesday, October 18 “inaction” of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to help its soldiers prisoners of the Russians whom the international organization has not yet been able to visit. “Unfortunately, with each exchange, we find that the ICRC’s inaction has led to our prisoners of war and civilian hostages being tortured daily by starvation and electrocution”regretted the Ukrainian human rights officer, Dmytro Loubinets, quoted in a press release from the presidency.
According to him, the ICRC is not fulfilling its mandate, which provides for the visit of military and civilian prisoners in conflict zones. The chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidency, Andriï Iermak, for his part affirmed that “Ukraine expects and demands from the ICRC the adequate determination to obtain access to Ukrainian prisoners at Olenivka“.
The sanitary conditions in this prison, located in the Russian-occupied part of the Donetsk region (east), have been widely denounced by the UN, and kyiv has repeatedly requested that an ICRC team go there. . “We do not see that the ICRC is working to protect our prisoners”again lambasted on Tuesday Andrii Iermak, denouncing in passing the position “destructive and cynical” of Russia.
Asked by AFP, the ICRC said “share the frustration” from Kyiv. “We know that behind this hides the anxiety of families not to know the fate of their loved ones”said an ICRC spokesman. “We reiterate that we will never stop demanding access to all POWs until we can repeatedly see them, wherever they are held”, he still assured. Last Friday, the ICRC had already requested access “immediate and without hindrance” to the thousands of prisoners of war from the conflict in Ukraine, whom he has not yet been able to visit.