Claims of organ trafficking as Russia denies allegations
Larysa Salayeva, the wife of a Ukrainian prisoner of war, claims that Russia is harvesting and selling the internal organs of detained prisoners of war. According to her, the bodies of soldiers brought to Ukraine often lack organs. Russian sources have denied these shocking reports.
"Russia has been stealing and selling the organs of dead prisoners" claims Larysa Salayeva, the wife of a Ukrainian prisoner of war and the chairwoman of the Freedom for the Defenders of Mariupol group. According to the latest reports from the "Daily Mail", several bodies of soldiers brought from Russia to Ukraine were missing vital organs.
“It is already widely known that during the exchange of bodies, we receive the corpses of tortured prisoners. However, they are often not just tortured but also, unfortunately, deprived of organs,” she said. She added that the organs end up on the black market.
Russian sources denied the reports of missing organs, claiming these are groundless accusations aimed at "demonising" the image of Russian forces.
A Ukrainian appeals to Turkey
Larysa Salayeva appealed to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for support in establishing a medical commission. It would monitor the health status of prisoners of war both Ukrainian and Russian.
As reported by the "Daily Mail", Salayeva also called on Turkey to act as a mediator. "I would also like to ask Turkey, as the patron country in resolving all humanitarian issues related to the exchange of prisoners of war, to speak out," she said.
Larysa Salayeva emphasised that Russians are ignoring the Geneva Convention and humanitarian law. "We want international agreements to be implemented. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the civilian population, which is a violation of international law," reported a Ukrainian source, quoted by dailymail.co.uk.
Russia violates Geneva Conventions
According to estimates, Russia holds over 10,000 prisoners of war, including many civilians. The mother of one of the soldiers described the alarming condition of the men who return to Ukraine as part of the prisoner exchange. "It is indescribable: they are thin and in need of medical help," she reported.
Just two weeks ago, chilling video footage emerged showing the brutal execution of two Ukrainian prisoners of war. They had previously been detained by Russian forces.
"The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime," it was stated in a Ukrainian report based on the disturbing video material. As reported by the "Daily Mail", the Ukrainian District Prosecutor's Office in Zaporizhzhia has launched an investigation into the breach of war conduct rules and premeditated murder due to the actions of Russian forces.
