Based on the publication on the V1.ru web-site, 26.06.2022

Photo: Alexander Yefimov/ Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Alexander Yefimov, a member of the Federal Bureau of the Yabloko party from Volgograd, appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Volgograd Region, the regional Public Monitoring Commission performing public control over the conditions of detention and providing aid to convicts, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the public prosecutor’s office with a request to visit and check detention centre No. 2 in the city of Kamyshin, where prisoners of war from Ukraine can be kept, as well as check the conditions of their detention .

Information that prisoners of war from Ukraine may be kept in pre-trial detention centres and penal colonies located on the territory of Volgograd and the Volgograd region began to spread through the federal media in late spring. Thus, Kommersant, citing a source close to the administration of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Volgograd Region, reported that the region’s pretrial detention centres were overcrowded due to the transfer of two institutions for war prisoners from the territory of Ukraine: “there are only Ukrainians now in Detention Centre No 2 in Kamyshin,” the source of Kommersant newspaper said. “The same situation is in the premises functioning in the mode of a pre-trial detention centre in Penal Colony No 19 in Surovikino”.

Alexander Yefimov, Volgograd human rights activist, concerned about the conditions of detention of prisoners of war, said that Ukrainian prisoners of war need to be helped. Then, according to him, the rights of Russian prisoners of war would be also respected in Ukraine.

“I have been told in different personal discussions that there were prisoners of war from Ukraine in the Volgograd region,” Alexander Yefimov said. “There was information in numerous posts on social networks that there were Ukrainian prisoners of war and citizens of Ukraine in penal colonies and pre-trial detention centres in the region, and criminal cases were initiated against them in accordance with the Criminal Code of Russia. Most often, detention centre No 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Volgograd Region was mentioned in connection with this. Therefore, I wrote appeals to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Volgograd Region, to the regional Public Monitoring Commission, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. I asked to check the conditions in which the prisoners of war had been kept.

It is clear that a “special operation” is underway, but we must try to remain human even in this situation. The principles of reciprocity apply in international law. By showing to the world and Ukraine that we treat Ukrainian prisoners of war as human beings and respect international norms, the world will press so that the rights of Russian boys who found themselves in a similar situation on the territory of Ukraine are respected.

Alexander Yefimov complains that he did not receive a response from either activists, or lawyers, or state departments.

“The Volgograd lawyers’ community perfectly understands the essence of the issue. Lawyers do not want to get involved in politics, but are ready to intervene in resolving humanitarian issues, realising their importance. “If we received an appeal with a specific name for legal support, we are ready to go there. But we can’t get specific information yet,” Alexander Yefimov says.

“I got the usual formal replies. I think that this boorish attitude is not towards me, but first of all towards the Russian soldiers who are now in prisoners of war. For example, there are appeals from mothers who want to get information about their sons who are prisoners of war in Ukraine. But when we will make requests there, they will ask us: are you doing something so that we would help you? Then we will answer that help is provided. It is important to launch the process. But, apparently, the topic is too scary for everyone.”

After the start of the so-called “special operation” on February 24, Yabloko offered all its possibilities, experience and knowledge for the practical creation of a special humanitarian corridor for the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies of the dead with Ukraine. The party sent relevant appeals to Russian and international structures, in particular to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Yabloko calls for a comprehensive exchange of prisoners, based on the general principle of “all for all”, with the obligatory observation of personal safety of each prisoner of war.