Human rights organizations demand from Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Joseph Biden, at the talks in Washington to raise the issue of the release of Ukrainian citizens illegally convicted and imprisoned on the territory of Russia, in Russian-occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are under Russia control (ORDLO).
“On the eve of the important visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, we are urging the two presidents to raise during the talks the issue of persons illegally detained and convicted as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine in occupied Crimea, on the ORDLO, as well as the Russian Federation,” according to the appeal of the Center for Civil Liberties, the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin, the ZMINA Human Rights Center, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, the Crimean Human Rights Group, the Platform for the Release of Political Prisoners, which is at the disposal of Interfax-Ukraine and which activists intend to transfer to the Ukrainian president.
Human rights organizations propose at the Ukrainian-U.S. negotiations to discuss pressure on Russia and on the occupation administrations under its control for the release of Ukrainian citizens, for unhindered access of the International Committee of the Red Cross to persons illegally detained in ORDLO.
“As of today, our lists include at least 124 people who are imprisoned in the occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation […] According to the SBU, at least 276 people […] are in the so-called DPR and LPR,” Head of the ZMINA Center for Human Rights Tetiana Pechonchyk at a rally in Kyiv on Aug. 28.
According to Interfax-Ukraine journalist, up to 100 activists gathered in front of the President’s Office in the center of the Ukrainian capital, holding posters calling for the release of political prisoners, portraits of Ukrainian citizens imprisoned in Russia and in the occupied territories.
The building of the President’s Office is guarded by reinforced police squads.
