27th session of the UN Human Rights Council
Panel on the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of their liberty
Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine
Ambassador Yurii Klymenko
September 10, 2014
Mr. President,
Occupation with further unrecognized annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federationand its subversive activities in the southeast of my country gave rise to the new for us, previously not encountered category of human rights violations.
With involvement of the Russian security service, the Ukrainian citizens are being abducted and, under various pretexts, taken to the territory of the Russian Federation where kept deprived of their liberty. They are subjected to numerous violations such as unlawful imprisonment, deprivation of the rights to defense, in particular in native language, consular protection, consideration of arrest by the court in an open session, etc.
Nadiya Savchenko, service woman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been captured by the terrorist armed groups operating in eastern Ukraine and illegally transported to Russia. Until now she is being detained under the frivolous and boguscharges.
Famous Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov was kidnapped on the territory of illegally annexed Crimea, transferred to Russiа and deprived not only of his liberty, similarly, under farfetched allegations, but also of Ukrainian citizenship as a result of forcible unlawful imposition of the Russian legislation on the occupied territory of Crimea, that leaves him without necessary legal assistance, in particular consular one.
By kidnapping Ukrainian citizens in our country, the Russian side violates not only all the norms of the international law, but also the basic rules of decency and morality. Such actions of Russia shall not remain without adequate response from the international community.
Since the Russian authorities ignore all requests of the Ukrainian side to free Nadiya Savchenko and Oleh Sentsov, I would seek advice of the distinguished panelists on how to deal with such cases? What mechanisms should be used to liberate above mentioned persons and more than ten other innocent citizens of our country suffering in detention places in the Russian Federationas the Kremlin political hostages?
I thank you.