Last PoW swap was held on 7 August, Russia does not want to release prisoners – Human Rights Commissioner

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, does not believe an "all for all" prisoner exchange is possible, because Russia does not want to free any PoWs at all. The last PoW swap took place in the summer.

Source: Lubinets in an interview for Ukrinform

Quote: "It's extremely complicated [to carry out an ‘all for all’ exchange – ed.]. The last exchange took place on 7 August. In my opinion, Russia has chosen a new tactic – not to give PoWs and civilians back, and to spread allegations among the PoWs’ relatives that it’s Ukraine’s fault that exchanges are not taking place."

Details: Lubinets is convinced that the Russians are doing this to create additional social tension in Ukraine and use the PoWs’ families against the Ukrainian government.

Quote: "As of now, I do not believe in ‘all for all’ exchange. The situation may change. I can only assure you that the team working in this area – myself and the Coordinating Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War – all of us are working every day to at least unblock the exchange processes to start with. We are trying to do this in various ways. And later, maybe, we will theoretically be able to exchange ‘all for all’."

Details: Lubinets said that he has confirmed information that Ukrainian PoWs have been relocated through Belarus.

He added that PoWs were there temporarily, but now there is no information that they may be in Belarus.

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