While in Lviv for festive occasions, I.Herashchenko speaks of supporting and releasing Kremlin’s political prisoners
12 June 2019, 14:00
On June 11, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko paid a working visit to Lviv and took part in the events on the occasion of the second anniversary of Ukraine’s visa-free travel regime with the EU and in support of the Kremlin’s political prisoners.
During the meetings, she briefed upon the political situation in Ukraine and summed up the result of the work of the Ukrainian Parliament of the VIII convocation. She also stressed that the next parliament should push to the fore the implementation of domestic legislation to the EU standards, implementation of the Association Agreement, reforming and strengthening the security and defence sector, reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, solving humanitarian issues of the Donbas, and economic development as well.
She also acknowledged the parliament’s work carried out in the realm of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.
Iryna Herashchenko also took part in the event in support of representatives of the Crimean Tatar people - political prisoners of the Kremlin, who are illegally detained in the occupied territories of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation.
The politician thanked the citizens of Lviv for their active position and a series of actions that draw attention to the release of the seamen prisoners of war, hostages and political prisoners of the Kremlin, which are currently held both in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in the city of Rostov-on-Don as well as other cities of the Russian Federation.
The first vice-speaker informed that she continues corresponding with many captives of the Kremlin. She urged more letters in support of the political prisoners.
Iryna Herashchenko apprised of dozens of prisoner swap proposals sent to the Russian side during her work as a representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian sub-group of TCGroup. However, all the initiatives remained unanswered.
The first vice-speaker reminded that the Parliament adopted last week the first reading of the draft law No. 9438 "On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on ensuring harmonization of the criminal legislation with international law", which is aimed at ensuring further criminalization of so-called major crimes under international law (genocide, aggression, crimes against humanity and war crimes).
"It is obvious today that every FSB employee belongs to war criminals, together with the leadership of the Russian Federation, who are involved in the illegal detention and holding of Ukrainians," I. Herashchenko emphasized.
The politician added that one of the primary tasks of the next parliament should be legislative regulation of issues related to the legal status of political prisoners and hostages.
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi shall meet next week with leaders of the ‘Normandy Four’. We do expect that the release of the Kremlin’s captives be a key point of these meetings," I. Herashchenko declared.
The politician also stressed that the Russian Federation is the only country that does not comply with the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.