Russia should grant protection to Ukrainian seamen under international law - UN

Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Fiona Frazer stated this at the presentation of the new 25th report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine covering the period from November 16, 2018 to February 19, 2019, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We have analyzed the outcomes of the naval incident near the Kerch Strait. The report sets out that 24 Ukrainian detained crew members currently held in Moscow should be granted protection under international humanitarian law. It means they must be humanely treated, protected against violence or intimidation, and receive medical assistance," Frazer said.

Lawyer Nikolai Polozov said on March 12 that Russian investigators, despite the position of the defense team, had appointed a psychological and psychiatric examination of 11 captured Ukrainian sailors.

On November 25, 2018, Russian border ships in the Kerch Strait fired upon and captured three Ukrainian naval vessels moving from Odesa to Mariupol, as well as 24 sailors. The captured seamen are currently held in Moscow's detention center. They all called themselves prisoners of war.

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