Relatives of prisoners of war in Odesa picketed the Red Cross for the second time

Relatives of the missing soldiers again rallied in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Odesa, demanding that the organization's representatives take a more effective part in bringing the defenders home.

The protesters staged a performance: they stood blindfolded and held signs with the words "Help!", Novyny.LIVE reported.

Relatives of the missing soldiers believe that the ICRC is not doing enough to help them and to find their relatives.

"The ICRC is a guarantor of international conventions and we are trying to prove it to them. They should visit Russian colonies and check the condition of prisoners and their number. And according to Article 109, seriously ill and severely wounded people should be returned home or repatriated to other countries," says Victoria, the organizer of the action.

The International Committee of the Red Cross claims that the organization' s staff thoroughly examines the cases of all missing soldiers. However, the successful search for prisoners of war depends not only on the ICRC, but also on Ukraine and Russia, as parties to the conflict.

"We are in the process of studying all the cases. However, much is beyond our competence. Because the process is at the state level. It does not depend 100% on the International Committee of the Red Cross. It depends on Ukraine and on Russia. They have to contact each other and provide us with answers to our questions," said Nathaniel Rees, head of the ICRC sub-delegation.

The ICRC's response did not satisfy the people, so they will continue to hold rallies in front of the organization.

Earlier, relatives and friends of the military held in Russian captivity picketed the Red Cross office in Odesa on May 12, demanding that the organization be more active in returning and helping prisoners of war.

Кирило Бойко