Ukraine yet to create register of missing persons – Ombudspeson’s Office

This was stated by the press service of the Ombudsperson's Office on Facebook on Day of the Missing Persons, which is marked annually on August 30, Ukrinform reports.

"According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 43 cases of enforced disappearance have been documented in Crimea, of which 11 persons remain missing. In Donetsk and Luhansk regions, 258 people have gone missing, including 67 servicemen and reservists,” the Ombudsperson's Office said.

It is specified that the issue of missing persons remains highly relevant for Ukraine.

“The problem has become extremely acute as a result of Russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula and armed aggression against Ukraine. National and international rights organizations report facts of human rights violations, abductions by Russian special services, and enforced disappearances of Ukrainian activists,” the statement reads.

Separately, the Ombudsperson’s Office recalled that on June 17, 2015, Ukraine joined the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

In particular, in order to create legal mechanisms for the search for missing persons, on July 12, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law On the Legal Status of Missing Persons, and, based on this Law, Article 146-1 was added to the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“enforced disappearance”).

However, the results of the parliamentary control efforts exercised by the Commissioner allow stating that over this period, the law has not been properly implemented. All meetings held so far by the Commission on Persons who Went Missing in Special Circumstances have been of an organizational nature.

In addition, the Ombudsperson’s Office says the Unified Register of Missing Persons, which is required for ensuring the effective search for such persons, has not yet been created.

For her part, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has repeatedly sent appeals to the government (the latest one – in August 2021) as part of parliamentary oversight regarding the need to take measures to ensure the implementation of this legislation.

"The Commissioner keeps in sight anyone whose fate currently remains unknown, who is being illegally held in the temporarily occupied territories. Their names are constantly published on all possible information platforms, including international ones," her Office said.

Every year, on August 30, the world marks International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances or the Day of the Missing Persons. This date was established in accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly of December 21, 2010.

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