Iryna Herashchenko commends the Government’s decision to launch paying moneyed assistance (UAH 100 000) to families of the Kremlin’s detainees
She reminded that the Ukrainian law has already provided for some measures on financial support to the detainees’ families. There have been assigned, in particular, some UAH 97 million in the 2018 state budget for the line ministry to cope with the related pressing problems. However, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was said to fail to adopt any practical regulations for the use of the money within the last seven months.
Together with members of parliament I.Friz, M.Ionova, I.Lutsenko, R.Chubarov, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova, Iryna Herashchenko sent numerous appeals to the Government calling to take measures to solve the above issue.
Particular attention was paid to the support rendered by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to the families of the hostages and political prisoners. "Those Ukrainians under forced isolation are the only breadwinners in the family in most cases. Members of such families do need urgent financial support from the Government for travelling to their illegally detained Ukrainian relatives, for covering attorney fees, and other social support", said I. Herashchenko.
Iryna Herashchenko, Ukraine’s representative of the TCG’s Humanitarian Working Group, expressed her hopes that the Ukrainian Government would proceed to render support to the families of the Kremlin’s detainees.
"We are working today to create a joint board under the President of Ukraine which shall be in charge of protecting the rights of political prisoners of the Kremlin. I expect that the Government’s representatives will also take part in the work of this consultative and advisory body", informed I. Herashchenko.
The First Vice-Speaker has also made reference to an important initiative of the Ukrainian President towards supporting the political prisoners and their families. On July 25, the President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on protecting the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of persons illegally detained and held captive by the Russian Federation, its occupation authorities, those released, and their families.
The decree also activates in 2018 a state Levko Lukianenko scholarship in furtherance of political prisoners and their family members.
Iryna Herashchenko expressed her hope that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine would work out the scholarship granting procedure as soon as possible as requested by the decree.
"This is a timely and proper initiative of the President. I expect the Government shall frame the scholarship procedure in due time. I am sure that Oleh Sentsov, Volodymyr Balukh, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Mykola Karpiuk, Roman Sushchenko are worthy of such an award. Today, their relatives need the state’s support as never before," said I. Heraschenko and then added: "I believe that Levko Lukianenko would also support such an initiative".