William JULIÉ provides explanations on how Russia handles the Azovstal soldiers’ situation. These soldiers are prisoners of war. They are therefore protected by the Geneva Conventions. Russia is trying to maintain a confusion, saying that they are war criminals, so that they do not benefit from this protection. Despite Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe, it remains subject to other international rules, including international customary law, which enshrine fundamental principles on the treatment of prisoners of war.