Official letter in Sushchenko case handed over to UN secretary general

The text of the official letter on behalf of Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko to the UN secretary general was made available to Ukrinform.

"I would appreciate your kind assistance in having this letter distributed as a document of the General Assembly under sub-item (c) of Agenda item 72 of its 72nd Session and of the Security Council," reads a statement by the permanent representative.

The document also contains the text of the comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the extension of the term of Sushchenko's detention for two more months.

"The Court once again rejected defense's request to change Roman Sushchenko's precautionary measure for non-custodial, which proves a continued pressure and prejudication of Russian judicial organs," reads the statement.

The purposeful political character of the case against Roman Sushchenko is confirmed by the closed judgement session, as well as denial to grant access for a consular officer to participate in the session as public defender in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. 

"Ukraine calls upon the international community, international human rights institutions and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media to take all appropriate legal and political actions to release and return Ukrainian citizen and journalist Roman Sushchenko to Ukraine," reads the document sent to the UN secretary general.

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