Over 400 Ukrainians being held in Russia, occupied territories

As many as 426 citizens of Ukraine are being held in inhumane conditions in detention centers in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on trumped-up politically motivated charges, according to Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova.

She said this after a working meeting with Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, Ukrinform reports.

"I spoke about the difficult situation with the observance of the rights of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Over the years of occupation, more than 14,000 people suffered from hostilities, of which 3,500 died. Some 426 citizens of Ukraine are being held in inhumane conditions in the detention facilities of the Russian Federation and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on trumped-up politically motivated charges. Almost 300 people are missing," Denisova wrote on Facebook.

Denisova said that almost 450 more citizens were waiting to be transferred from detention centers in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to serve their sentences in the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, but the transfer process has been blocked for two years.

Both parties also discussed the legislative and institutional framework of their activities, as well as the tools they use to ensure the observance and protection of human rights.

Denisova and Tatoyan also emphasized the special importance of awareness activities on the possibilities and guarantees of protection by citizens of their rights.

"I informed my colleague that since the beginning of 2021, the staff of the commissioner's secretariat has held more than 1,500 such events attended by more than 32,000 citizens, including law enforcement officers, local governments, and students," Denisova said.

Denisova said on October 6 that 121 Ukrainians, including 86 Crimean Tatars, were being held in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Russia on politically and religiously motivated charges. Some 71 people have already been sentenced to long prison terms.

According to her, 296 Ukrainian citizens, including 252 civilians (among them four volunteers) and 44 service members, are being illegally detained in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

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