Europe must pressure Russia to stop torture so that Ukrainian hostages, both civilians and military, can survive and await their return home. This is the primary message to all European institutions now, according to Petro Yatsenko, the head of the press service of the Coordination Center for prisoners of war.
"We are talking here about the fact that our people must first of all preserve their lives and health until the exchange," he emphasized.
According to Yatsenko, this is the minimum program, and it is necessary to spread information worldwide about how Russians treat prisoners, as evidenced by all those who have survived in Russian prisons and camps.
"This is our main message to Europe now. Russia must be forced to stop torture and comply with the Geneva Conventions because everyone who returns, you see in what condition they are. All prisoners must survive until their release so that their health is not undermined," said Yatsenko.
In Strasbourg, a representative of the coordination headquarters also met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Roussopoulos, and members of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. During the meeting, it was emphasized that the European community must actively exert pressure and demand that the aggressor country stop its inhumane treatment of Ukrainian citizens, strengthening sanctions against Russia.
"They must clearly state that torture in captivity and non-compliance with the Geneva Convention are unacceptable and increase diplomatic and economic pressure on the Russian Federation," Yatsenko emphasized.
According to the head of the press service, the International Red Cross should have the same access it has in Ukraine to all places of detention in Russia and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Since apart from it, no other organization has such a mandate.
"But really very few of those who returned from captivity testify that they saw any representatives of the Red Cross. Therefore, we believe that their presence is insufficient. And we are ready to help them with this," Yatsenko noted.
According to international conventions, women, the sick, and severely wounded should be returned first. However, the Russian side "does not adhere to humane principles and continues to use Ukrainian prisoners as an instrument of influence on society, families, and loved ones." Russia also blocks the return of fighters from the "Azov" unit.
The Coordination Center also reminds that many people are returning home whose names were on the lists of missing persons in Ukraine, so there is great hope that these lists will also decrease.
