The Red Cross did not participate either in the exchange or in the provision of medical aid to wounded Ukrainians who were captured by the enemy.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, held a meeting with the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, led by the president of the ICRC, Myryana Spolarych-Egger, during which he expressed his misunderstanding about the passivity shown by the representatives of the ICRC in the matter of ensuring the rights of Ukrainian prisoners.

As noted in the message of the Office of the Head of State, the relatives of the former prisoners of war also took part in the meeting: the wife of the commander of the OZSP “Azov” Denys Prokopenko Kateryna, the sister of the marine Serhii Volynskyi Tetyana Kharko, as well as the military medic Maryana Mamonova, who was released in September. .

In particular, Prokopenko noted that representatives of the ICRC do not visit Ukrainian prisoners who are held in unsatisfactory conditions. She called on the Red Cross to join in establishing the whereabouts of the prisoners, as well as in finding out the needs of Ukrainians in medical care.

Mamonova emphasized that it is very difficult for women in captivity, because they are not provided with even basic hygiene products. She noted that during her stay in captivity she was waiting for the birth of a child and hoped to be released as a matter of priority, but this did not happen.

“I was pregnant and I hoped that the Red Cross would exchange me, because I am a medic, an officer and a pregnant woman who, according to all conventions, should have been the first to go for exchange,” the woman emphasized.

However, according to her, the Red Cross did not participate either in the exchange or in the provision of medical aid to wounded Ukrainians who were captured by the enemy.

“I am asking for your help so that there are representatives there who could prevent violence, cruel treatment of women and men,” Mamonova said.

The president of the ICRC assured that she will discuss with the representatives of the organization possible ways to improve the conditions of detention of prisoners of war and prevent torture. She noted that in accordance with the norms of international law, the ICRC does not have the authority to forcibly grant it permission to visit places of detention of prisoners.

In response, the head of the President’s Office noted that Russia has violated all international conventions, so reference to the norms of international law in this context is not a sufficient argument.

Yermak stated that the Russian aggression demonstrated the crisis state of the global human rights protection system. In such a situation, international institutions, organizations and their employees do not have time to respond to the need for changes. According to him, human rights organizations should change their activities in accordance with current requirements.

Yermak expressed hope that qualitative changes will also take place in the work of the Red Cross under the leadership of Spolarich-Egger, and it will be effective in modern conditions. He also expressed hope that the ICRC under the leadership of Spolarich-Egger will do everything possible to gain access to the places of detention of Ukrainian prisoners.

Return of Ukrainian prisoners: what is known

On Armed Forces Day, December 6, Ukraine returned 60 servicemen from captivity – 58 men and 2 women, that is 15 officers and 45 privates and sergeants.

On December 8, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Miryana Spolarich, arrived in Ukraine. Her visit will last four days.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that ombudsmen will help return all captured and deported citizens of Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine has already managed to return 1,331 Ukrainian soldiers from Russian captivity.