Human rights activists: ‘Parade’ of Ukrainian captives violates Geneva Conventions
The international organization Human Rights Watch has announced it.
According to human rights defenders, the action violates the Geneva Conventions that demands to treat captives with respect and be humane, BBC reports.
Pro-Russia militants led a column of captive Ukrainian soldiers across the centre of Donetsk on August 24. The leaders of the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ decided to respond to the celebration of Ukraine Independence Day that way.
The videos made in Donetsk show a column of several dozen prisoners guarded by armed separatists. The crowd standing nearby was shouting ‘fascists’ at them. Sprinklers followed the column.
This attitude to prisoners of war is unacceptable, human rights defenders said. The manifestation may be considered a war crime, Ole Solvang wrote on the HRW website.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government doubts that the people convoyed along Donetsk Streets were captive soldiers. There could be ‘extras from the local prison’ used in the column together with soldiers, adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko believes.
Photo: АР
