Contents tagged with political prisoners

  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Russia may agree to prisoner exchange to improve image during FIFA 2018 World Cup

    During a broadcast of Channel 5, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that he believes that Kyiv may be able to get Moscow to consent to the release of political prisoners and a hostage exchange while Russia is hosting the 2018 World Cup.

    "A gesture is possible, though not a gesture of goodwill, but rather [a gesture] to improve the image of Russia during the championship. We must use the championship, but we must [also] continue to work," Klimkin stated. At the same time, he noted …

  • Poroshenko calls on Macron to intensify pressure against Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoners

    The Ukrainian President’s Press Service reports that President Petro Poroshenko held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron during which the two parties agreed on further contacts through the Normandy Format to ensure the implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the situation on the Donbas.

    “The interlocutors discussed the security situation in the Donbas and the need for a UN peacekeeping mission throughout its occupied territory. The interlocutors …

  • Ukrainian President: human rights are not part of the vital interests of Russia

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday condemning Russia’s massive violations of human rights, including on the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

    Poroshenko had high praise for the “consolidated, powerful voice of MEPs in the protection of more than 70 Ukrainian political prisoners, who continue to be forcibly held and tortured by the Kremlin regime,” he wrote on Facebook. He reiterated that Ukraine is fighting for …

  • USA urges Russia to release all Ukrainian political prisoners

    The United States mission to the OSCE called on Russia to free Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and other Ukrainian political prisoners who are illegally held in the Russian Federation, as reported in a statement released by Harry Kamien, the chargé d'affaires ad interim to the OSCE.

    "Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov’s hunger strike enters its 31st day today. Russia transferred Mr. Sentsov from Crimea to Russia, and we call upon Russia to immediately release him and all other Ukrainian …

  • Poroshenko calls on Erdogan to facilitate the release of Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia

    During the visit to Turkey, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to facilitate the release of Ukrainian political prisoners who are detained in Russia, the President’s press-service reports. The two leaders discussed relevant issues of bilateral cooperation and international agenda.

    Poroshenko thanked Erdoğan for his ongoing support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and for the protection of the rights of Crimean Tatars.

    The Presidents …

  • Poroshenko and Putin conduct phone conversation

    On Saturday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone.

    Poroshenko’s website reported that the presidents discussed the release of the Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and the separatist-held territories.

    “The head of the Ukrainian state drew attention to the Ukrainians’ hunger strike, and expressed concern regarding the deterioration of their health. An agreement was reached that human rights commissioners from both countries would …

  • Ukraine: Russia’s sentencing of journalist Sushchenko unprecedented and inhumane

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman have commented on the 12 year prison sentence given by Russia to Ukrainian citizen Roman Sushchenko on charges of espionage.

    “The unprecedented obscenity of the Russian ‘court’, which sentenced Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko based on spurious charges, proves that the Kremlin regime will stop at nothing in its attempt to crush the spirit of Ukrainians. However, I am confident that Russia will inevitably be …

  • Ukraine calls on Austrian media to raise Sentsov issue during Putin's visit

    The Ukrainian Embassy in Austria has appealed to local media to "raise the issue" of political prisoner Crimean Oleg Sentsov ahead of the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Austria Oleksandr Scherba wrote on Facebook.

    "Numerous cinematographers from around the world, including Agnieszka Holland, Krzysztof Zanussi, Johnny Depp and Alexander Sokurov called on Vladimir Putin to release Oleg Sentsov. The Austrian Film Academy also …

  • Demonstrations in support of Sentsov held in 78 cities worldwide

    #SaveOlegSentsov demonstrations were held in Germany, Italy, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, France, Belgium, Israel, Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Kuwait and other countries.

    "I wrote an appeal to hold demonstrations in support of Oleg [and] sent them to friends; they sent them to their own, and it quickly appeared that people from 30 countries around the world, from Canada to Australia, were ready to write a manifesto for the demonstration, translate it into different languages, …

  • Klimkin calls on foreign ministers to help free Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin sent letters to his colleagues from different countries, asking them to exert pressure on Russia to release all Ukrainian political prisoners.

    The Minister stressed the extreme importance of freeing Volodymyr Balukh, Oleg Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko, who all announced that they would go on hunger strike.

    "I sent letters to fellow ministers around the world and asked them to apply pressure on Russia and demand everyone’s release. It …