About 30 Central Asian citizens held captive in Ukraine since start of war
Ukrainian forces have captured about 30 citizens from Central Asian countries since the beginning of the war. Ukraine’s Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna reported.
«The nationality of prisoners of war is usually determined based on their own statements, as they often lack documents to confirm it,» the ministry noted in response to a media inquiry.
The Ministry of Justice also stated that «prisoners of war held in detention centers and camps have the same legal status, regardless of their citizenship, enshrined in both international and national legal acts.»
«The citizenship of a prisoner of war, including dual citizenship, does not affect their legal status in any way,» the ministry added.
In the summer of 2024, Ukraine exchanged and returned Alisher Tursunov, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, who fought in the Russian army. He was in captivity. His relatives in Kyrgyzstan recognized him, and he personally appealed to President Sadyr Japarov for help.
Earlier, Radio Azattyk reported that at least 51 natives of Kyrgyzstan had been killed in the war in Ukraine, including 25 citizens of Kyrgyzstan.
