Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky violated the Geneva Conventions by sharing videos he said showed captured North Korean troops, a leading human rights organization told Newsweek.Rachel Denber, Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy director, Europe and Central Asia division, said Zelensky posting the clips of the troops on social media was not a war crime but was a violation of the international standards for humanitarian treatment in war.Denber said the videos breached Article 13 of the third Geneva Convention intended to ensure the dignified treatment of prisoners. It says: “prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.”Newsweek contacted Zelensky’s office and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for comment.
North Korean soldiers in Pyongyang on February 16, 2019.
North Korean soldiers in Pyongyang on February 16, 2019.
ED JONES/Getty Images
Why It MattersRussia is accused of numerous violations of international humanitarian law against Ukrainian prisoners of war as well as many other war crimes, which range from the targeting of civilian infrastructure to the abduction of children.HRW says Ukraine cooperates with international organizations to ensure POWs receive humane treatment, but breaching the Geneva Conventions that protect prisoners from being made into a “public curiosity” could prompt criticism of Kyiv.What to KnowThe clip Zelensky posted on January 14 shows one North Korean fighter on a bed speaking to Ukrainian investigators with a captioned translation describing how he had been wounded before Russian troops retreated.Next to the four-minute clip, Zelensky wrote that the soldier’s account showed how Russia is exploiting North Koreans. On January 12, Zelensky posted a video of two other captured North Koreans, and their interrogations suggested that they knew little of what they were sent there to do.Zelensky released further video on Monday of a North Korean soldier saying he did not receive adequate training, was transported over on a cargo ship not a military vessel, and that his mother does not currently know his whereabouts.”A senior researcher for HRW’s Asia division, Lina Yoon, told Newsweek that the footage violated Article 13 mandating the safeguarding of POWs from insults and public curiosity, and has put the men and their families at higher risk in North Korea.She noted how one video of a soldier expressing a desire to stay in Ukraine could be deemed treasonous in North Korea. Repatriating prisoners to North Korea puts them at risk of enforced disappearance, torture, wrongful imprisonment, forced labor or execution, Yoon added.On March 16, 2022, less than a month after the war started, HRW said it had written to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and Interior Ministry to express concern about state-run social media channels and websites posting images of captured Russian soldiers.Ramin Mahnad, senior legal adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wrote on June 28, 2022, that the media must “exercise restraint” to help ensure prisoners are protected under the international law of armed conflict.North Korea sent troops to fight alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces are fighting to retain territory it captured during a surprise incursion in August.Pentagon officials estimate that up to 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to the region, but amid heavy losses, Western analysts predict the entire contingent “may be killed or wounded in action by mid-April 2025.”What People Are SayingHuman Rights Watch Deputy Director, Europe and Central Asia Division Rachel Denber told Newsweek: “Not all violations of the Geneva Conventions are war crimes There’s no criminal content and there’s no criminal intent.”HRW senior researcher, Asia division, Lina Yoon told Newsweek: “The way that these images have been released violates Article 13 of the third Geneva Convention, but for me the focus is more on how this places the men and their families at higher risk back in North Korea.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on X, formerly Twitter: “Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and Ukrainian investigators continues…the world will learn the full truth about how Russia is exploiting such guys.”What Happens NextDenber said there are no real consequences for Geneva Conventions violations banning making POWs objects of public curiosity. But there could be reputational consequences for Ukraine that might result in a weakened standard. There could also be an impact on Ukraine’s troops, who are already subjected to widespread torture by Russian forces.
