The story of the Ukrainian's captivity in Chechnya demonstrated gross violations of international law.

The conditions of detention described by Ukrainian soldier Sergey Skotarenko after more than three years of captivity in Chechnya ignored all provisions of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", former prisoner Sergey Skotarenko, along with other Ukrainians, spent more than three years in Chechnya. He told journalists that local authorities exploited prisoners on construction sites, forcing them to work for food. In the first two years, Ukrainians were held in a basement where they "sat on each other's heads" - they were allowed to go to the toilet once a day, and to wash in cold water once a week.

Sergey Skotarenko's account of the conditions of captivity in Chechnya confirms that for Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity, the Geneva Conventions are de facto not being implemented, said lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov, familiar with the cases of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

"Literally all rights provided for prisoners of war are ignored, and the conditions of detention are even worse than during World War II. The Russian authorities demonstratively ignore many provisions of the convention - we see the most severe inhumane torture, hunger, incommunicado detention, criminal prosecution for participation in hostilities, abduction of civilians, and denial of access to lawyers.

Therefore, the conditions in Chechnya described by the released prisoner roughly correspond to the general conditions in Russia, and it is surprising that he was even allowed to communicate with relatives," he noted.

The conditions of detention in Chechnya described by Sergey Skotarenko do not comply with the Geneva Convention, confirmed the director of the human rights group "Citizen. Army. Law"* Sergey Krivenko.*

"According to the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war, except for officers, can be used for work, but with restrictions (military industry, hazardous production), - and, of course, with a salary, not for food. As for the amount of food, the question is how thick this soup is. But, of course, a prisoner must be provided with a certain level of calories," he stated.

Keeping prisoners in a cramped basement is also a violation. "Prisoners should be held in special camps, not in some basement," he emphasized.

Commenting on the fact that during three years of captivity, the Ukrainian was only able to talk to his wife three times, Krivenko* noted that the Third Geneva Convention establishes the right of a prisoner to write home, but does not regulate their number. "But, of course, once a year - that is very little," he stated.

Regarding the violation of his rights as a prisoner of war, Sergey Skotarenko has the right to appeal not only to the European Court of Human Rights but also to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. "Since this concerns violations of international law, this falls under the jurisdiction of the ICC," concluded Krivenko*.

* included in the register of foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice.

** the activities of the Meta company (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.