Ukraine bans calls home for Russian prisoners - Ombudsman
Dmytro Lubinets, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Ukraine has banned Russian prisoners of war (POWs) from making phone calls home. This decision was made in response to the increasing number of executions of Ukrainian defenders, according to the Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
Lubinets stated, "I'll be frank, we are making some changes. For example, there have been many discussions about the possibility of Russian POWs calling their relatives in Russia... As of now, we've been informed that while Russians still can write letters, they no longer have the right to make phone calls."
Lubinets emphasized that the phone call ban does not violate the Geneva Convention. The document allows for correspondence but does not mandate phone calls for prisoners.
It's worth noting that discussions have long been ongoing in Ukraine about banning Russian POWs from making phone calls to their families. Previously, a petition appeared on the government's website proposing to prohibit calls for POWs until Russia allows Ukrainians in captivity to make regular phone calls.
However, the government rejected this idea, explaining that Russians must understand that they should not fear surrender.
Background
In recent days, there has been an increase in the number of executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces. Recently, the "I Want to Live" project reported that Russians had executed a Ukrainian soldier. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has appealed to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Additionally, CNN published footage showing the execution of Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the international community to condemn the actions of Russian terrorists.
