PARIS: Human Rights Watch is urging Ukraine to stop posting videos of captured Russian prisoners under duress, saying such treatment violated Kyiv’s international obligations.
Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers before the media at news conferences in Kyiv, and these images have been spread via official accounts on social media and messaging apps.
Such actions violate the Geneva Conventions that aim to provide a framework for humanitarian law in conflict, the US-based group said in a statement late Wednesday.
“Ukrainian authorities should stop posting on social media and messaging apps videos of captured Russian soldiers that expose them to public curiosity, in particular those that show them being humiliated or intimidated,” it said.
“Such treatment of prisoners of war violates protections under the Geneva Conventions intended to ensure dignified treatment of captured combatants on all sides,” it added.
It said social media accounts of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had posted videos of captured Russian soldiers “who appear under duress or are revealing their names, identification numbers, and other personal information.”
Similar videos has also been posted on accounts apparently run by the interior ministry, it added.
“The Ukrainian authorities should stop posting these videos online,” said Aisling Reidy, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.
“The violations by Russian forces are pervasive and widespread, causing intense civilian harm,” Reidy said. “At the same time, Ukraine has clear obligations that it must uphold, including lawful treatment of POWs.”
The group said it was still awaiting a reply to a letter sent to the Ukrainian authorities expressing concern.
Social media firms should take steps to suppress such content, and media outlets must refrain from broadcasting material of prisoners that breaks humanitarian law, it added.
Human Rights Watch also said it had documented extensive violations and “apparent war crimes” by the Russian side in the conflict including indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
HRW urges Ukraine to stop parading Russian prisoners before the media
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HRW urges Ukraine to stop parading Russian prisoners before the media
- Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers before the media at news conferences in Kyiv
Musk’s AI bot Grok limits image generation on X to paid users after backlash
- AI tool was used to create sexualized images, sparking widespread criticisms
- The standalone Grok app, which operates separately from X, still allows users to generate images without a subscription
LONDON: Elon Musk’s startup xAI has restricted the image generation function on its Grok chatbot on social media platform X to paid subscribers, after the tool’s use of AI to create sexualized images sparked a widespread backlash.
The chatbot’s image generation had allowed users on X to edit or create sexualized photos, which Reuters found was used to generate images of women and children in minimal clothing, often without the consent of the individuals depicted.
A torrent of semi-nude images on X led to European lawmakers urging legal action, with German media minister Wolfram Weimer describing them as the “industrialization of sexual harassment” and the European Commission calling them illegal.
Grok told X users on Friday that image generation and editing features were now available only to paying subscribers.
The standalone Grok app, which operates separately from X, still allows users to generate images without a subscription.
A Reuters reporter asked Grok on X to convert a picture of himself into one wearing a bikini, echoing what has become a common request over the last week by users. The bot did not do so and posted in reply that the tool was only available to paying subscribers of the social media platform.
In what seemed to be an automated response, xAI replied to an emailed Reuters request for comment by saying “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The European Commission said on Monday such images circulating on X were unlawful and appalling, while Britain’s data regulator said it had asked the platform to explain how it was complying with data protection laws following concerns that Grok was generating sexually abusive images of women.
Musk said last week that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading such material directly.
