The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, and the new Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, have agreed to verify all lists of prisoners of war and civilian hostages held in detention facilities. The Ukrainian side also proposed involving the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and ombudsmen from foreign countries in visiting the places where Ukrainian prisoners are held.
The ombudsman stated this during a telethon broadcast.
Lubinets mentioned that this was his first meeting with the new Russian commissioner. Unlike his predecessor, Tatyana Moskalkova, with whom the Ukrainian side had worked for almost four years, agreements with Lantratova are starting from a “clean slate.”
According to him, the negotiations lasted over three hours. Initially, he spoke with the ombudsman privately for about 30 minutes, after which the parties continued negotiations with two teams of three people each.
“We agreed that we are starting from a clean slate. By verifying all lists, we are breaking them down by categories,” said Lubinets.
He added that he specifically discussed priority categories for the Ukrainian side, which they aim to repatriate as quickly as possible: severely wounded and seriously ill individuals, those who have been held captive the longest, as well as prisoners and civilians captured between 2014 and 2022. Lubinets reported that the parties discussed the procedure for verifying individuals with the status of missing persons.
The Ukrainian ombudsman stated that he provided the Russian side with a list of correctional colonies and pre-trial detention centers where, according to the Ukrainian side, the situation regarding the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war is the worst. He received preliminary assurances that the Russian side is ready to promptly commence monitoring visits and report on their outcomes.
Lubinets explained that the Ukrainian side proposed allowing representatives of the ICRC to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as initiating monitoring with the participation of ombudsmen from foreign countries. He added that his ombudsman colleagues are prepared to form a monitoring mission and travel to Russia if granted access to the prisoners. The Ukrainian side, in turn, is ready to grant such observers access to Russian military personnel.
Separately, the parties agreed to directly exchange official certificates from archives, despite the absence of diplomatic relations. Lubinets stated that he raised this issue because the Ukrainian authorities frequently receive requests for official certificates from Russia.
“This was supported, and it will become an additional tool if Ukrainian citizens need certificates from the territory of the Russian Federation, for example, for calculating pensionable service; then we can obtain such official certificates. Similarly, I promised that we can do this from the territory of Ukraine for citizens of the Russian Federation,” said Lubinets.
Lubinets also reminded that in addition to the meeting on June 5, an exchange took place: according to him, Ukraine returned 185 prisoners of war and one civilian hostage, as well as five low-mobility civilian citizens. Among them is an 84-year-old woman who returned to her daughter in Ukraine. The ombudsman added that currently, many Ukrainian citizens wish to leave the territory of Russia, and the parties agreed to continue this initiative.
Source: suspilne.media