Memorial rally in Warsaw shows solidarity for Ukrainian POWs imprisoned by Russia near Red Cross HQ
Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
On Saturday, November 9, a group of several dozen Ukrainians gathered near the Red Cross headquarters in Warsaw for a memorial rally in solidarity with soldiers currently held captive by Russia.
Radio Svoboda reported this.
Family members of those imprisoned by the Kremlin or gone missing, along with members of the Polish-Ukrainian community "Wspólnie PoMoc," have once again urged the organization to fulfill its assigned duties of locating individuals, verifying their captivity, and monitoring their detention conditions.
Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
One of the organizers of the action, Kateryna Cheliadina, emphasized:
"The Red Cross should guarantee human rights and freedoms, but unfortunately, it is not. The organization still has not provided complete information about the condition of our prisoners of war and has not ensured proper monitoring of their detention conditions.
We ask the Red Cross to hear our voices and take real action to protect the rights of our prisoners of war."
Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
People were holding placards with inscriptions:
- "Red Cross protects the rights of terrorists,"
- "Silence kills,"
- "Free Azov".
Relatives of prisoners of war and service members who are considered missing took part in the rally.
Olesia Bohdanova arrived at the Red Cross's representative office carrying a flag adorned with a photo of her father, Ihor Bogdanov. She is calling on the organization to guarantee the rights of prisoners' family members to communicate through correspondence.
Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
"This is extremely important for maintaining the morale of the prisoners of the Kremlin because they will know that they are fighting for them and waiting for them at home," she said.
"My father has been defending Ukraine since 2014. He was in Mariupol as a 501st Marine Corps battalion member when the full-scale invasion took place. On April 4, 2022, he was captured along with his fellow comrades in Mariupol. While I know for a fact that my father has been verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross, I have not heard any news about him in the almost 3 years he has been held captive. Despite my multiple requests for updates on his well-being, I have received nothing," Bohdanova says.
Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
The woman learned from the soldier who was released during the last exchange that "doctors came to my father several times, and prisoners are subjected to torture and suffer from tuberculosis en masse."
"My father is in a colony in Mordovia. He is now 53 years old. I don't know if he had any injuries. I want answers about my father's health; I'm eager to know about his well-being, and I want to be certain that my letters will reach him and that he will be able to write back to me," the daughter of the captured marine says.
Radion is waiting for his brother, marine Myroslav Chornomor, from captivity:
"He was taken captive at the Illich plant on April 12, 2022. They were told to surrender and, in return, were promised a speedy release from captivity. However, those promises were not kept. Currently, he is in the Donetsk region, where he received a life sentence. In response, Ukraine replied that we do not exchange such people.
An appeal was filed with the help of a Russian lawyer; we are now waiting for the verdict."
Radion Chornomor – the brother of captured marine Myroslav Chornomor, at a memorial event in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war near the Red Cross office. Photo: RFE/RL / Natalka Volosatska
To pressure the Red Cross into taking action, the activists intend to launch a nationwide letter-writing campaign to prisoners of war on November 19, which marks the thousandth day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Over the course of three weeks, they plan to collect more than 10,000 letters and bring them to the Red Cross office with a demand to hand them over to the Kremlin prisoners.
For reference:
It should be noted that the Ukrainian community and the team of the Ukrainian embassy in Poland commemorated the heroes who gave their lives for Ukraine's freedom and independence in Warsaw on October 1, the Day of Defenders of Ukraine.
As reported, the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula was held in Montreal. The participants approved the Joint Communiqué. Participating states undertook to facilitate the return of all captured and deported Ukrainian citizens.
It was also noted that the first specialized reintegration center for returning service members was established in Ukraine. This facility, located in the central region, is a significant step in supporting defenders who have faced grueling challenges and require comprehensive aid in reintegrating into civilian life.
Furthermore, on October 18, 95 Ukrainian soldiers, including defenders of "Azovstal" and the renowned human rights activist Maksym Butkeyich, were released from Russian captivity. This marked the 58th round of prisoner exchanges as part of Ukraine's "95 for 95" initiative.
