Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has confirmed that it is possible to expel Russia’s ambassador to Australia as the government is investigating the fate of a captured Australian citizen.
This comes after reports emerged about the possible execution of Oscar Jenkins, a 32-year-old former teacher, after he was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine.
There have also been videos on social media showing Jenkins being interrogated and beaten by two men speaking Russian.
Jenkins told the interrogators that he used to be a teacher in China and studied biology in Australia.
He also said he came to Ukraine to be a soldier.
Amid concerns about the death of Jenkins, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has said it is working to verify his status.
Under international humanitarian law, prisoners of war are protected from physical and mental torture, as well as any form of coercion and intimidation.
On Jan. 15, Wong called out to Russia, saying it had an obligation to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law.
“This includes humane treatment and the right to a fair trial,” she told ABC News.
“So that is their obligation [and] we will look at the facts when they have been ascertained.”
The minister also emphasised that “all options are on the table” regarding how Jenkins was treated by Russian forces.
“Those options include expelling the ambassador and recalling Australia’s ambassador in Russia … I need, as the foreign minister, to identify and ascertain the facts beforehand,” she said.
At the same time, Wong expressed her empathy for Jenkins’ family.
Australia Will Take ‘Strongest Possible Action’: PM
During a press conference on Jan. 15, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would take the “strongest possible action” against Russia if Jenkins’s death is verified.“DFAT is seeking urgent clarification as to what these circumstances are. I spoke with the Ukrainian ambassador on Monday in my office,” he told reporters.
“We call upon Russia to immediately confirm Oscar Jenkins’s status. We remain gravely concerned.”
The prime minister also said the government had called in Russia’s ambassador to Australia to ask about Jenkins’s situation.
Meanwhile, Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley has called for the expulsion of Russia’s ambassador if news of Jenkins’s death is true.
“If Oscar Jenkins is being mistreated, if he has in fact been killed, this is unacceptable,” she told Sky News.
“This is a war crime, and Anthony Albanese and his government need to get to the bottom of this immediately.”
