Rights group urges Ukraine to stop parading captured Russian troops before cameras

PARIS — Human Rights Watch is urging Ukraine to stop posting videos of captured Russian prisoners under duress, saying such treatment violated Kyiv’s international obligations.

Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers before the media at news conferences in Kyiv, and these images have been spread via official accounts on social media and messaging apps.

Such actions violate the Geneva Conventions that aim to provide a framework for humanitarian law in conflict, the US-based group says in a statement.

“Ukrainian authorities should stop posting on social media and messaging apps videos of captured Russian soldiers that expose them to public curiosity, in particular those that show them being humiliated or intimidated,” it says.

“Such treatment of prisoners of war violates protections under the Geneva Conventions intended to ensure dignified treatment of captured combatants on all sides,” it adds.

It says social media accounts of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have posted videos of captured Russian soldiers “who appear under duress or are revealing their names, identification numbers, and other personal information.”

Similar videos have also been posted on accounts apparently run by the interior ministry, it adds.

“The Ukrainian authorities should stop posting these videos online,” says Aisling Reidy, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.

“The violations by Russian forces are pervasive and widespread, causing intense civilian harm,” Reidy says. “At the same time, Ukraine has clear obligations that it must uphold, including lawful treatment of POWs.”