Administrative and legal status of camps for prisoners of war

The article examines the administrative and legal status of camps for holding prisoners of war in the context of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It emphasizes the growing relevance of the topic in the conditions of martial law in the territory of Ukraine and the need to implement the norms of international humanitarian law into national legislation in order to improve it. The authors focus on the specifics of camps as administrative and legal institutions with a special legal regime. The structure of camps is revealed, which includes three separate structural parts (administrative, residential, production). Particular attention is paid to the historical aspects of the functioning of such camps during the Second World War, which allows for a better understanding of the evolution of administrative practices in this area. The article provides a thorough analysis of the key elements of the administrative and legal status of the camps: organizational structure, management features, the regime of detention of prisoners of war, guarantees of rights and freedoms. It has been determined that prisoner-of-war camps are special administrative and legal entities, the activities of which are regulated by the Geneva Conventions, Additional Protocols, and resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The study found that the current regulatory framework in Ukraine is partially adapted to international humanitarian law, but contains significant gaps, in particular regarding the legal status of camp personnel, their conditions of service and social protection. The study also draws attention to the urgent need to improve the legal status of camp personnel, as the existing regulatory framework is fragmented and does not provide an adequate level of legal and social protection. It is proposed to develop specialized by-laws to resolve this problem. The author justifies the need to revise and supplement the current regulatory framework in order to ensure law and order, security, and humane treatment of prisoners of war, as well as to bring administrative and legal practice into line with Ukraine’s international obligations.