Iryna Heraschenko: Ukraine handing over 15 persons to representatives of SDDLR to unblock hostage release process
15 December 2016, 16:00
First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine / Representative of Ukraine in the Humanitarian Subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group for the Settlement of the Situation in Donbas (Ukraine-OSCE-Russia), Iryna Heraschenko, says that Ukraine is handing over 15 persons to representatives of some districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (SDDLR) within the framework of release procedure. "That is a gesture of humanism and goodwill. We hope that this will facilitate unblocking of the hostage release process before the New Year's Day," Heraschenko said at a briefing.
She said that those 15 persons will be either pardoned with respective decree of the President of Ukraine or released through taking other procedural measures. She said that the Minsk humanitarian subgroup and the Security Service of Ukraine have managed to detect location of a total of 58 Ukrainian hostages held by the militants. Ukraine demands their immediate release and is ready to hand over 228 persons requested by the SDDLR representatives.
She noted that the Russian Federation unfoundedly blocks all initiatives within the framework of hostage release. In particular, Heraschenko informed that representatives of Russia and the SDDLR blocked an urgent Skype conference of the humanitarian subgroup of the trilateral contact group for the settlement of the situation in Donbas (Ukraine-OSCE-Russia), which would have been dedicated to the process of hostage release.
Iryna Heraschenko noted that the President of Ukraine raises the issue of hostage release at every official international meeting.
She added that all Ukrainians are interested in the speediest release of all hostages.
At the briefing, an advisor of the Security Service head, Yurii Tandyt, stressed that Ukraine will work hard to release all the heroes illegally held hostage in the SDDLR.