30th Session of the Human Rights Council
Agenda item 3
Clustered interactive dialogue with the Working Group on arbitrary detention
Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Ambassador Yurii Klymenko
15 September 2015
Mr. President,
Ukraine commends the efforts of Working Group in drafting UN basic principles and guidelines on remedies and procedures on the right of anyone deprived of liberty to bring proceedings before court. We support the development of clear and practical guidance for Governments in fulfilling their obligations to avoid arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
Occupation with further illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and Russia’s subversive activities in the southeast of my country gave rise to the human rights violations, including arbitrary detention.
The recently published OHCHR report on the situation on human rights in Ukraine contains eloquent evidence of numerous violations of human rights, including arbitrary detention, by Russia-backed illegal armed groups.
Ukraine is doing its utmost to ensure respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, conducting proper investigation and bringing perpetrators to justice, prioritizing the implementation of Minsk agreements, including on the release and exchange of all hostages and illegally detained persons. At the same time, the Russian Federation and Russia-backed illegal armed groups keep ignoring them.
We strongly condemn the recent unlawful and inhuman Russian court’s sentencing of Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko, and call on the Russian Federation to honor its international commitments by releasing, without delay, all hostages and illegally detained Ukrainian citizens – including Nadiya Savchenko, who has already spent over a year in detention in Russia.
I would like to seek advice of the Working Group on what mechanisms could be additionally used to facilitate liberation of mentioned and other persons arbitrary detained in Russia and how to deal with these cases of clear miscarriage of justice.
I thank you.