Ukrainians ask David Cameron to help in release of political hostages from Russian captivity

Monday, October 6, 2014 - 12:53 (EEST) Section: Latest news

Ukraine expects assistance from the Government of the United Kingdom in releasing of its citizens illegally detained by Russian services.
Ukrainian diaspora of London addresses the Prime Minister of Great Britain David Cameron and appeals to him for help to release as soon as possible Oleh Sentsov, Nadia Savchenko, Oleksiy Cherniy, Hennadiy Afanasyev, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Yuriy Yatsenko as well as other Ukrainian activists, who are victims of political repressions and are illegally detained in Russia.
“The Ukrainian community of Great Britain accentuates the illegal nature of the detention of the Ukrainian citizens in Russia and urges you, Mr. Prime Minister, and the Government of UK to exert, without delay, all legal and diplomatic efforts for their immediate release,” the letter of Ukrainians to David Cameron says.
The appeal underlines that the charges against Ukrainian citizens are political in nature, the Russian investigating authorities are biased and there is no objective evidence with which to charge the Ukrainian detainees. “The kidnapping of the Ukrainian citizens, their illegal transfer across the Ukrainian-Russian state border, their further placement in detention to face spurious charges is nothing more than blatant violation of universal norms and principles of international law in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Their criminal prosecution is illegitimate,” the letter to the Head of British Government states.
According to the authors of the letter, such actions of the Russian Federation violate the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the International Convention against the taking of hostages, as well as Russia’s obligations within the framework of the OSCE and the UN, and the Consular Convention between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
The text of the appeal was approved during the action in support of the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, which was held last weekend in London.
On Saturday, September 27, a screening of Gaamer, a film directed by Oleh Sentsov was held at the Ukrainian Social Club in London. The event in support of the Ukrainian filmmaker was organized by the Embassy of Ukraine to the UK, London EuroMaidan and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain London branch.
According to Mr Andriy Kuzmenko, Charge dAffaires of Ukraine to the UK, this screening was dedicated to all our citizens, who also were kidnapped by Russian terrorists in occupied Crimea and Donbas, illegally transferred to Russia and detained there on fake charges.
“Cases against Oleh Sentsov, Nadia Savchenko and many other Ukrainians are solely political in nature and their detention is illegal,” Ukrainian diplomat underlined.
Members of London EuroMaidan are also convinced that these flagrant facts of human rights and freedom violation by Russia are to be known to the entire civilized world, including Great Britain, where such things are impossible to imagine. “We hope that the British Government not only pays attention to the problem, and goes further than expressing deep concern, and grant a real help in release of Ukrainians from Russian captivity,” said Nadia Pylypchuk from London EuroMaidan.