The latest meeting of the Humanitarian Subgroup of 11.12.2020 Ответственность за распитие алкоголя в запрещенных местах и за появление в общественных местах в нетрезвом виде focused on the lists of persons to be exchanged. Unfortunately, the meeting did not bring any results.
The Ukrainian side ignored the issues on the agenda, thereby delaying the exchange of detainees and demonstrating the lack of political will. We once again highlighted that it is necessary to conduct verification directly on the line of contact since we haven’t received confirmation from many of the detainees as for their refusal to participate in the exchange process. Moreover, many of them were not even invited to participate in it.
In addition, at the latest meeting, official Kiev did not present a mechanism for providing guarantees of procedural “clearance” of prisoners. Once again, we insisted that the dismissal of criminal proceedings against persons subject to the exchange is its integral part and the Republic will not change its stand in this principled position, which would guarantee observance of person’s rights.
We urge the Ukrainian side to immediately unblock this process and begin the procedure for the release of detainees.
