Australian PM Anthony Albanese wants more proof from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive
PM Anthony Albanese has called on Moscow to provide proof to back assurances Australian prisoner of war Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Russia’s assurances about the welfare of a Melbourne man captured while fighting for Ukraine and initially feared dead will not be taken at “face value”, as Australian officials push for independent verification of reports the soldier is alive.
Anthony Albanese has called on Moscow to provide proof to back assurances Australian prisoner of war Oscar Jenkins, 32, is in custody revealing he was sceptical of the information provided by Russian authorities about the status of the former schoolteacher.
“They have provided information at this point but we don’t take anything we hear off the Putin regime at face value,” the Prime Minister said.
“We have made it very clear that we think Mr Jenkins should be released.
“We don’t think he should suffer from ongoing incarceration and we will continue to make representation but we’ll also continue to work with Ukraine as well on ascertaining further information.”
Mr Albanese said his thoughts were with the Jenkins family.
“My heart goes out to (them),” Mr Albanese added.
“This is a really difficult time.
“We stand with you and we continue to offer every assistance that we can.”
A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian Government was working to organise independent verification of Mr Jenkins’ welfare, potentially through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“As the Foreign Minister has said, if Russia does not provide Mr Jenkins the protections he is entitled to under international humanitarian law, our response will be unequivocal,” she said.
“All options remain on the table.
“The government will continue to work with Ukraine and the ICRC to verify Mr Jenkins’ welfare and advocate with the Russian authorities for his release.”
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said the report Mr Jenkins remains alive was “good news for Australians”.
“However, that the Russian Federation refused to confirm his status for more than a month — and thereby put his family, friends and fellow Australians through anguish — is typical of that barbarous regime,” he said.
“We should strongly note that Russia is documented as killing and maltreating prisoners of war, as well as constantly lying on an industrial scale.
“It is a murderous misinformation machine that cannot be taken at its word alone.”
Mr Myroshnychenko said Russia must provide “definitive video proof” of Mr Jenkins being alive.
“And then, more importantly, (Russia) should release him rather than use him as a human bargaining chip for its authoritarian aims,” he said.
After news broke of Mr Jenkins’ reported survival, relatives of the former Melbourne teacher and avid cricketer gathered at their Caulfield family home.
His mother, Elizabeth Jenkins, and other family members have remained tight lipped about when they last spoke to Mr Jenkins.
It was in December that a video started circulating on the platform Telegram showing Mr Jenkins tied up, being interrogated and hit, by a Russian capture.
More Coverage
Originally published as Australian PM Anthony Albanese wants more proof from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive
Huge call for nationwide 50c fares
One party has made a huge call to roll out 50c public transport fares across the nation – a move they say will save the average Aussie thousands every year.
Greens plan to cut public transport fares to just 50 cents
The bold promise will be rolled out across Australia’s buses, trains, ferries and trams but won’t come cheap. See what is planned and how much it is tipped to cost.