Urges Kyiv To Stop Uploading Online Videos Of Arrested Russian Soldiers, Human Rights Watch: Violate Geneva Convention

Russia has a large military base in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons / mvs.gov.ua / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - New York, United States-based international human rights organization Human Rights Watch urges Ukrainian authorities to respect the rights of prisoners of war, stopping posting videos of captured Russian soldiers on social media.

"Ukrainian authorities should stop posting on social media and messaging applications videos of captured Russian soldiers, publicly showing them, particularly those that show they were insulted or intimidated," Human Rights Watch said in a statement posted on its website, quoted from TASS March 18. .

"Such treatment of prisoners of war, or POWs, violates protections under the Geneva Conventions, which are intended to ensure the dignified treatment of captured combatants on all sides," the statement said.

On March 10, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Interior, "to express concern about social media channels and government-run websites, which upload images and videos of prisoners of war.

Human Rights Watch asked what steps the authorities would take to ensure prisoners of war are treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions."

"As of March 16, Human Rights Watch is still waiting for an answer," the organization said.

"Social media platforms should also clarify whether and how prisoner-of-war videos that do not comply with the Geneva Conventions are included in their existing policies and, if necessary, develop new policies to identify and suppress the spread of such content," Human Rights Watch said.

Separately, Russia's human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said she was ready to participate in any form in the work to return Russian prisoners from Ukraine last Tuesday.

He said that appeals from their relatives showed they were being bullied and blackmailed.

"In particular, they were forced to take part in anti-Russian demonstrations under threats of being beaten or killed," said Moskalkova.

He added that in early March he contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross and its office in Ukraine, with a request to visit Russian prisoners of war and provide necessary assistance.

Earlier, the ombudsman said he had information about incidents of cruel and inhuman treatment of Russian servicemen captured in Ukraine.