The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the problematic aspects of adapting the administrative and legal norms regarding the use of coercive measures by the personnel of the State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine (SCES) to the specific status of prisoners of war (POWs). The relevance of the study is driven by the urgent need to harmonize national penitentiary legislation with the standards of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) under the conditions of the ongoing international armed conflict. The author provides a detailed analysis of the «normative asymmetry» between the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the State Criminal-Executive Service, the Criminal-Executive Code, and internal regulations of detention facilities on one hand, and the imperatives of the Third Geneva Convention (1949) on the other. It is proven that the mechanical transfer of police and penitentiary methods of using force – historically designed for working with convicts and persons in custody (criminals) – to the detention of POWs creates high risks of violations of the laws and customs of war.

Particular attention is paid to the legal collision in the regulations for the use of firearms during escape attempts. The article criticizes the simplified domestic algorithm that permits lethal force based solely on external factors (such as nighttime or wooded terrain) without the prerequisite of an immediate threat to life. The author substantiates the necessity of introducing a stricter «three warnings rule» (two verbal commands and a warning shot) for POW camps to meet international standards. The study also identifies legal gaps in the use of special means (handcuffs, tear gas, service dogs) and emphasizes that their use for disciplinary punishment or intimidation constitutes «inhumane treatment».

Keywords: Prisoners of war (POWs), State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine (SCES), coercive measures, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Third Geneva Convention, POW camp, legal status, use of force, penitentiary system, normative asymmetry.

References

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