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Russia is preventing access to Ukraine war prisoners, UN says

09 September 2022 14:51 (UTC +04:00)

The head of the U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine said on Friday that Russia is not allowing access to prisoners of war, adding that the U.N. had evidence that some had been subject to torture and ill-treatment which could amount to war crimes, APA reports citing Reuters.

Matilda Bogner told a Geneva news briefing that U.N. monitors had unimpeded access to Ukrainian facilities and had documented incidents of torture and ill-treatment of POWs by Ukraine which may also amount to war crimes.

"The Russian Federation has not provided access to prisoners of war held on its territory or in territory under its occupation...," Bogner said.

"This is all the more worrying since we have documented that prisoners of war in the power of the Russian Federation and held by the Russian Federation's armed forces or by affiliated armed groups have suffered torture and ill-treatment."

"In terms of the treatment of prisoners of war, certainly some of the issues could rise to being war crimes - issues of torture and ill treatment of prisoners of war," she said in response to a question about the Russian-held prisoners.