Poroshenko lifts ban on entry to Ukraine for Russian Human Rights Commissioner
Lyudmila Denisova, the Verkhovna Rada-appointed Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, said during a broadcast of Hromadske that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has lifted a ban on entry to Ukraine for Russian ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova, so that the Russian official can visit Russians in the country.
"The ban on entering Ukraine that was imposed on Moskalkova because she violated the rules for traveling to Crimea has been lifted," Denisova stated.
She noted that, according to Poroshenko's agreements with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the visits by the Russian ombudsman should be held in parallel with visits by the Ukrainian ombudsman to Ukrainians being held by Russia.
On June 21, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Poroshenko’s Press Service, the Ukrainian President urged Putin to release Ukrainian hostages held in Russian prisons and in the occupied territories. He also noted the importance of admitting Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmila Denisova to visit Oleg Sentsov and other imprisoned Ukrainians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the US State Department, the European Parliament have all appealed to Russia demanding the release of Sentsov and other political prisoners.