Lubinec proposed allowing prisoners of war to make phone calls to their families
This was reported by hromadske.
The ombudsman announced the initiative during a press conference. He said that he had proposed it during talks with the Russian ombudswoman, Yana Lantratova.
According to Lubinets, if the Russian side ensures that Ukrainian prisoners of war are able to telephone their families, Ukraine will grant the same right to Russian prisoners of war.
“So that every prisoner of war can call their family and loved ones and speak for at least three minutes. I said that if this is guaranteed for Ukrainian prisoners of war, it will also be guaranteed for Russian prisoners of war,” the Ombudsman stated.
Why is this issue being discussed again?
Until autumn 2024, Russian prisoners of war held in Ukraine were able to call their families. However, after a petition on the matter garnered the required number of votes, the government put an end to this practice.
The petitioners emphasised that Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia do not have the same opportunity, and their families often go for long periods without receiving any information about their fate.
At the time, Dmytro Lubinets explained that this decision did not contravene the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and was linked to an increase in cases of Russia’s ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
What else did the parties discuss?
During his discussions with Yana Lantratova, the Ukrainian Ombudsman also raised the issue of monitoring the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.
In addition, the parties exchanged lists of individuals considered missing under special circumstances. Ukraine provided a list of 1,500 citizens, whilst Russia provided a list of 1,000 of its own citizens for further mutual verification.
Separately, Lubinets handed over to the Russian side a petition from the families of Ukrainian servicemen who were killed in Olenivka, requesting the return of 46 wounded defenders who remain in captivity.
The parties have also begun cooperating on the exchange of documents required to confirm the pensionable service of citizens who worked in Russia during the Soviet era.
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