Violation of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war and prospects for bringing the Russian military to justice

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the issue of bringing the Russian military, as well as the military leadership of the Russian Federation, to justice for the facts of ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The paper examines the commission of war crimes in the context of international law and standards that define the responsibilities of states and their citizens during conflicts. The paper examines the facts of ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military, accompanied by an analysis of international law and national legislation.
In order to study the issue in full, this article highlights excerpts from the following legal acts: The Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Rome Statute, and the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The author provides recommendations on possible ways to bring the Russian military to justice for committing war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war. Such ways may include: creation of special commissions by international organizations to conduct inspections and record violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian military; international pressure, public diplomacy and sanctions; prosecution through national legislation; use of the International Criminal Court as a body that will have the right to prosecute Russians for crimes committed in Ukraine; creation of a separate International Tribunal that would have jurisdiction to consider the cases of war crimes committed by Russians.
The study is aimed at identifying ways to improve international legal practice in the field of protection of the rights of prisoners of war in the context of military conflict.