The press service of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on August 3 that they did not promise to guarantee the safety of the Ukrainian defenders of “Azovstal” steelworks who left the plant and then were captured by Russians and killed in Russian-occupied prison facility in Olenivka.
Source: The press service of the Red Cross
The ICRC claims that they were only a “neutral intermediary during the withdrawal of the military from Azovstal”, citing a lack of authority.
“We did not guarantee the safety of the PoWs once in enemy hands because it is not within our power to do so. We had made this clear to the parties in advance. It is the obligation of parties to the conflict to ensure POWs are protected against acts of violence, intimidation, and public curiosity, as well as against the effects of hostilities. Only parties to the conflict can definitively ensure the safety and security of PoWs.”
According to representatives of the ICRC, they have the right to freely visit any places where prisoners of war are held, to have private conversations with them, but only for the purpose of “to understand how they are being treated and to visit all facilities where they are being interned, to determine whether they meet the standards laid down by IHL.”
“The aim of these interviews and visits is to make sure that the integrity and dignity of POWs are respected, and that their conditions of internment are in line with laws and internationally recognized standards.”
The ICRC has stated that it does not participate in legal proceedings and will neither testify nor provide information for trial to any judicial or investigative mechanism.
The Red Cross also added that they have not yet received access to the prisoners of war who were affected by the explosion, and do not have security guarantees to carry out this visit, although they are ready to go to the scene of the tragedy as soon as it becomes possible.
See also: The Russians do not let the Red Cross investigate the attack that killed Ukrainian war prisoners
