The UN Human Rights expressed concerns after some photos and videos on social media appeared to show metal cages being built by Russian-backed authorities in the philharmonic hall in Ukraine’s Mariupol, apparently to restrain prisoners of war (POWs) during proceedings.
UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani also voiced concerns over plans by the Russian-backed authorities to try Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol, possibly within days, saying that such a process could itself amount to a war crime.
“We are very concerned about the manner in which this is being done. There are pictures in the media of cages being built in Mariupol’s philharmonic hall, really massive cages and apparently the idea is to restrain the prisoners,” Shamdasani told a UN briefing. “This is not acceptable, this is humiliating,” she said.
“Under international law, individuals entitled to prisoner-of-war status have combatant immunity and cannot be prosecuted for having participated in hostilities, or for lawful acts of war committed in the course of the armed conflict, even if such acts would otherwise constitute an offence under domestic law,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
It added that if prisoners of war are charged with crimes, they are entitled to due process and fair trial guarantees. No sentence or punishment may be passed on them unless it is delivered by an impartial and regularly constituted court, the UN Human Rights said.
“We recall that international humanitarian law prohibits the establishment of courts solely to judge prisoners of war and that wilfully depriving a prisoner of war of the rights of fair and regular trial amounts to a war crime,” it said.
The UN Human Rights said it was concerned that prisoners of war have generally been held without access to independent monitors, exposing them to the risk of being tortured to extract a confession.
“There have also been worrying public statements by Russian officials and members of affiliated armed groups labelling Ukrainian prisoners of war as ‘war criminals’, ‘Nazis’, and ‘terrorists’, thereby undermining the presumption of innocence,” it said.
Russia preparing to launch intensified strikes: US
The US embassy in Kyiv, meanwhile, alleged that Russia was preparing to launch intensified strikes against civilian infrastructure as well as government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days. It also urged American citizens to leave the country using private ground transportation if possible.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia “may try to do something particularly nasty, particularly cruel” as Ukraine prepares to celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday, which also marks six months since the invasion.
(With inputs from Reuters)
