Lubinets: Efforts to find mechanisms to return civilians from captivity ongoing

As Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets posted on Telegram, the Ombudsman’s Office held a meeting with the relatives of Ukrainian civilians held captive by Russia.

During the meeting with the families of the civilian hostages, representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the National Information Bureau, the National Police of Ukraine, and the International Committee of the Red Cross answered the questions raised, in particular, regarding the principle of the return of Ukrainian citizens and the participation of international organizations in this process.

According to Lubinets, the issue of returning civilian hostages from Russian captivity is the most problematic now since according to the Geneva Conventions, the civilian population cannot be taken captive.

"The Russian Federation violates all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions and refuses to return Ukrainian citizens, but the authorities are working to find such mechanisms, about which relatives and relatives of civilian hostages have been informed," the Ombudsman emphasized.

He noted that "everyone has their own pain, their own story, but we do not give up. We make efforts to bring our people back and we succeed. Both military and civilians return. The problem of the return of children starts to be solved. Maybe it happens not as fast as we would like, but we are fighting for everyone. We are fighting against the enemy who violates all possible norms and cynically changes the conditions of return. The work is ongoing and we believe in the result: to return everyone!" the Ombudsman said.

As reported, Russia did not accept any of Ukraine's proposals regarding the return of civilian prisoners which were put forward during the negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian human rights commissioners in Turkey.