“We heartily want the OSCE Coordinator Toni Frisch’s visit to the Donbas to help unblock the hostages releasing processes,” – Iryna Herashchenko
On September 13, the Coordinator of the Trilateral Contact
Group’s (TCG) humanitarian subgroup, the Ambassador Toni Frisch and the First
Vice-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ukraine’s representative in the TCG’s
humanitarian subgroup Iryna Herashchenko delivered to journalists an ample
report about the work of the group shedding also light upon the resent
Coordinator’s visit to Ukrainian penitentiary institutions as well as ones in
occupied Donetsk and Luhansk.
The First Vice-Speaker indicated the importance of T. Frisch’s meetings with hostages in the occupied Donbas, which in a face-to-face format had taken place for the first time in accordance with the international law.
I.Herashchenko noted that the Ukrainian side, showing its openness in humanitarian issues, had provided the OSCE Coordinator with full access to all penitentiary institutions to meet with persons convicted of terrorism and separatism.
Representative of the TCG’s humanitarian subgroup I. Herashchenko stressed that the Ukrainian side had for several months insisted that the OSCE Coordinator visit prisons in the occupied territories. His seeing the hostages, who have for years been in a complete isolation, could be an important factor in their psychological and moral support.
T. Frisch informed that he was
able to meet in occupied Donetsk with Ukrainian servicemen and civilians, in
particular, with a journalist Stanislav Asieiev. At the same time, I.Herashchenko expressed her deep concern that in occupied Luhansk there was
no access given to the OSCE Coordinator to see the persons whose release Ukraine has been pressing
for. “We have grounds to
talk about the use of torture against them," added I. Herashchenko a
comment.
The First Vice-Speaker also expressed her hopes that the parties would make every effort to ensure access of representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the hostages as well as transfer of care packages and letters there.
"We do appreciate Toni Frisсh’s visit to the illegally detained servicemen in the occupied Donbas at its true value, and we want this stride to help unblock the release process," emphasized Iryna Herashchenko.
Answering the questions, the politician reminded that Ukraine’s representatives are ready to convey to the Russian Federation 36 citizens of Russia convicted of terrorism in Ukraine in exchange for the release of Ukrainians – the Kremlin’s hostages and political prisoners.
Toni Frisch noted the importance of the said working visit and stressed that he had for the first time been able to communicate with the hostages in the occupied Donbas in a private format.
He then confirmed he had visited the penitentiary institutions of Ukraine in Kharkiv, Starobelsk, Bakhmut and the places of illegal detention in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk. "We had confidential conversations with ten people, as well as with five other convicted prior to 2014, who did express their desire to be moved to Ukraine-controlled territory," explained Toni Frisch.
The TCG’s humanitarian subgroup coordinator said that the Donbas hostages and those convicted in Ukraine had asked him about only one thing during the meetings - to assist with their fastest release.
T. Frisch expressed his hope that in the very near future the humanitarian subgroup would be able to reach agreement upon the release of the hostages.