MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russian ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova received 4,388 applications last year from relatives of Russian service members seeking the latter's release from captivity, according to data presented in Moskalkova's speech at the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, on Monday.
"Regarding the work with appeals from special military operation participants' family members, we received 10,817 appeals, and another 8,000 in the past three months alone, twice as many as last year," Moskalkova said, speaking at a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Civil Society Development, NGOs and Religious Associations and the State Duma Control Committee.
Moskalkova also stated that 4,388 of the appeals received in 2022 sought assistance with returning service members from captivity, and 4,131 requested assistance in searching for them. She received 476 requests for help in having military conscripts' rights respected, 459 requests to help gain access to appropriate medical treatment and counseling, 421 concerning social support measures, and 76 from people seeking better material and living conditions for service members.
Moskalkova attributed the increase in appeals from service members' relatives to the fact that "people have faith in the human rights commissioner" as a way to help special military operation participants.