ICRC ignores ombudsperson’s appeals over torture of LPR fighters - Pasechnik

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has given no answer to Lugansk People’s Republic ombudsperson Viktoria Sergyukova who sent documented evidence of POW abuse by Ukrainian forces, LPR Acting Head Leonid Pasechnik said in an interview with the Russian newspaper “Izvestia.”

 

The Republic has repeatedly drawn international attention to violations of international humanitarian law by Ukrainian nationalists who abuse, torture and beat military captives, he said. It also ascertained that Ukraine had been misinforming on the cause of death of prisoners-of-war held in the Ukrainian territory.

 

“The LPR ombudsperson sent the gathered evidence of violation of the Geneva conventions which Kiev had ratified to the International Committee of the Red Cross. However there has been no answer or response from the ICRC so far,” Pasechnik said.

 

“The ICRC whose operation must rely on the principle of neutrality and impartiality, uses various pretexts to avoid the performance of its duties in softening the consequences of armed conflicts and protecting human lives and dignity,” he added.

 

“Regrettably, it shows the ICRC’s political bias and care for extraneous interests rather than its interest in implementation of its mandate, promotion of the ideas of humaneness and observation of Geneva conventions,” the LPR leader said.

 

The LPR underlines its commitment to humanitarian law and urges international rights organizations to press Ukraine into at least observing the principle of humanity, Pasechnik said.

 

Earlier, forensic examination found signs of pre-mortem torture on the body of an LPR militiaman handed over by Ukraine.

 

Serdyukova said after the latest prisoner exchange that the militiamen who had returned from Ukrainian captivity were in poor health.

 

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Prior to that, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. On July 3, the LPR militia and Russian armed forces fully liberated the LPR territory from Ukrainian armed formations.

 

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The peace talks that began soon thereafter failed to reach tangible results due to Kiev’s position to settle the conflict by force.

 

The Lugansk People’s Republic became a part of Russia on September 30, 2022 following the unification referendum.*i*ie