Stop the torture of Ukrainian hostages – Petro Yatsenko

Europe must pressure Russia to stop torture so that Ukrainian hostages, civilians and military, can survive and wait for their return home. This is the main message addressed to all European institutions, according to Petro Yatsenko, head of the press service of the Coordination Center for Prisoners of War.

“We are talking here about the fact that our people must first and foremost preserve their lives and health until the exchange,” he stressed.

According to Yatsenko, this is the minimum program, and it is necessary to disseminate information around the world about how Russians treat prisoners, as evidenced by all those who survived in Russian prisons and camps.

“This is our main message to Europe today. Russia must be forced to stop torture and comply with the Geneva Conventions, because everyone who returns to Russia sees what state they are in. All prisoners must survive until their release so that their health is not compromised,” Yatsenko said.

In Strasbourg, a representative of the coordination headquarters also met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Roussopoulos, and members of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. During the meeting, it was stressed that the European community must actively exert pressure and demand that the aggressor country stop its inhuman treatment of Ukrainian citizens, by strengthening sanctions against Russia.

“They must clearly state that torture in captivity and non-compliance with the Geneva Convention are unacceptable and increase diplomatic and economic pressure on the Russian Federation,” Yatsenko stressed.

According to the head of the press service, the International Red Cross should have the same access as in Ukraine to all places of detention in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Apart from it, no other organization has such a mandate.

“But in reality, very few of those who returned from captivity testify to having seen representatives of the Red Cross. That is why we believe that their presence is insufficient. And we are ready to help them in this regard,” Yatsenko noted.

According to international conventions, women, the sick and seriously wounded should be repatriated as a priority. However, the Russian side “does not respect humanitarian principles and continues to use Ukrainian prisoners as an instrument of influence on society, families and relatives.” Russia is also blocking the return of fighters from the “Azov” unit.

The Coordination Center also reminds that many people are returning home whose names were on the lists of missing persons in Ukraine, so there is great hope that these lists will also decrease.