Parliamentary Assembly has demanded that prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian captivity be treated in line with international humanitarian law and human rights standards, pledging to "remain involved until the last captive is released".
A total of 65 956 servicemen and civilians have been registered missing or captured to date, although in reality the number of victims is thought to be much higher.
Approving a resolution and recommendation based on a report by Mariia Mezentseva-Fedorenko (Ukraine, EPP/CD), the Assembly said it wanted to be "the voice of the prisoners of war and civilian captives" held in Russia or the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, and their families, helping to keep their suffering high on the international political agenda.
A group of Ukrainian women whose loved ones are being held in Russia observed the debate from the public gallery, and met the PACE President, who expressed his full solidarity with and support for them.
The Assembly said that too often, relatives have no way of obtaining information about the fate of their loved ones, and demanded "immediate and unimpeded" access for International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to all places of detention.
Among other things, it also welcomed prisoner exchanges and supported the idea of an "all for all" exchange.
