To save lives in conflict

5. Listening to the Voices of Persons Deprived of Their Liberty

This activity monitors the humanitarian conditions of individuals isolated from the outside world, such as soldiers who are taken prisoner due to conflict or people who are detained for various reasons, and works to protect their dignity.

Under international law, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is granted access to persons who are deprived of their liberty. For many years, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has regularly visited prisoner-of-war camps and prisons around the world, continuing to meet with inmates. During these visits, we assess on-site conditions to ensure that individuals receive adequate food, live in hygienic conditions, and have access to provisions for exercise, health, and religious practices. If any issues are found, we may request improvements from the authorities. However, this is always done in private as publicly criticizing the treatment could strain relations with the authorities and risk losing access to the facility. This approach aligns with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s principle of neutrality. Neutrality is sometimes misunderstood as indifference or inaction in conflicts, but its true purpose is to ensure access to victims.

For an easy-to-understand reference material on the Red Cross’s Fundamental Principles, including neutrality, see A message from the Red Cross : sign of humanity by the Japanese Red Cross Institute for Humanitarian Studies