Before Ukrainian forces surrendered in May, Mariupol was the site of a nearly two-month siege—and now, in its philharmonic hall, Russian-backed authorities appear to be building metal cages to restrain Ukrainian prisoners of war. “This is not acceptable, this is humiliating,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “We are very concerned about the manner in which this is being done. There are pictures in the media of cages being built in Mariupol's philharmonic hall, really massive cages and apparently the idea is to restrain the prisoners.” Russian-backed authorities had warned that they would try POWs before the end of summer—a process that the UN already worries would be a war crime, if the OHCHR is not allowed to monitor the trials. The right to a fair trial is guaranteed under the Geneva Conventions. The construction of these cages is part of Russian plans to establish an “international tribunal,” Shamdasani said. The trials may begin within days.
