DPR is not going to support partial POWs exchanges proposed by Kiev

Comments and statements of the Ombudsman News

The number of detainees proposed for the exchange by Kiev contradicts Minsk Agreements, said DPR Ombudsman Daria Morozova.

“For over eight months of negotiations, after Kiev decided to divide the detainees into groups, I start my speech at Minsk negotiations with one and the same phrase: “The exchange will not happen until you stop diving people into categories and include all verified persons into the exchange lists”. Now Kiev suggests to return 199 of 267 persons verified and to take back 70 persons, while only 58 have been confirmed. We disagree with that. This offer is not constructive.”

Morozova said, these actions may only lead to protracting the process as Kiev knows in advance that the conditions are unacceptable for the Republics. “Moreover, such Ukrainian delegates make such offers on purpose, because they know that Donetsk would refuse. All this time our stance have been the same – the exchange must be performed through “all for all” formula.”

“Minsk Agreements do not provide for dividing people into categories under penal articles. It prescribes the exchange to be performed under “all for all” formula.”

She added that Kiev also manipulated charges against detainees, making it impossible to include some people in the lists.

“They lift charges related to Donbass conflict thereby including those detainees in the category of people irrelevant to the conflict. Over the last year, 62 people from the general exchange list were charged with gravest crimes. Now there are only 11 persons left in the list – others’ cases were re-qualified as “not related to ATO”.”

“DPR does not manipulate the lists. We compile them solely in accordance with official confirmation from Kiev,” Morozova stressed.

According to the latest data, there are 496 persons kept by Kiev that is 267 persons whose presence in the territory of Ukraine has been confirmed and 229 persons whose whereabouts are being clarified. In August we made requests for two persons, included in the list for the first time. There has been no response. A request for one person from the list of missing persons (509 persons in the list) was made for the first time. Hypothetically, they might be in Ukrainian captivity. We recall that the last POWs exchange between Ukraine and DPR transpired almost a year ago, on September. After they got two persons who were under suspicion for involvement into sabotage-terrorist activities, the Ukrainian side released four civilians.

Source:DAN