Russia said on Thursday that the Red Cross was allowed to visit Olenivka prison, where dozens of Ukrainian POWs died in a bomb attack in July, but that it was blocked due to a lack of security guarantees.
Earlier this week, Kiev accused the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of “inaction” towards Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, saying the lack of visits to detained soldiers and civilians made them vulnerable to torture.
In response, the Red Cross said it shared the frustration, but emphasized that it can only conduct these visits if it has authorization and security guarantees.
The organization has called on both sides to allow greater access to their POWs and expressed particular concern about the lack of access to the Kremlin-controlled Olenivka prison in eastern Ukraine.
Each side blamed the other for the deadly July 29 attacks, while the United Nations warned of appalling hygiene conditions in prisons.
Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to Geneva, said the Russian Defense Ministry has authorized a Red Cross visit to Olenivka on Aug. 4. “They gave the green light,” he told journalists at a briefing organized by the Association of UN Correspondents, stressing that “from a military point of view, this situation is changing.”
The Red Cross, Gatilov said, is asking for security guarantees for a visit, but “it’s not easy to provide that kind of security, as the bombing continues.” “From a security point of view… this situation does not allow a visit to Olenivka,” he stressed.
But Gatilov said he was discussing the issue of access to prisoners of war with new Red Cross leader Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, stressing that Olenivka was just one of the facilities where Red Cross visits were on the table.
The Russian ambassador in Geneva said Russia is taking a “constructive stance” and has allowed five or six such visits to Ukrainian POWs held in Russia in recent months, and is in talks to facilitate more visits. “We have more than 6000 Ukrainian prisoners and sometimes it is not possible to organize all visits,” he added.
Gatilov rejected accusations that POWs held by Russia were mistreated, claimed they were treated “very well” and claimed the other side, whom he accused of carrying out “torture”, was not.
Under the Geneva Conventions, all parties to international armed conflicts are obliged to grant the Red Cross access to all prisoners of war to assess their situation.
The organization does not make its findings public, but strives to improve the conditions together with the various parties.
Source: DN
