The European Union has reiterated its call on Moscow to release all Ukrainian citizens “illegally detained” both in Russia and in the occupied Crimea peninsula.
In a statement on January 10, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini cited the cases of Pavlo Hryb, a 20-year-old Ukrainian man charged with abetting terrorism, and Crimean Tatar activist Edem Bekirov, who was detained last month upon entry into Crimea.
The spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, said the EU expects both men to be immediately released and granted access to the special medical treatment they need.
The EU’s statement said of the two detained men:
“Pavlo Hryb, a disabled, 20-year old citizen of Ukraine was abducted on 24 August 2017 in Belarus, and detained by the Russian authorities without any clear charges. The European Union expects him to be immediately released and granted access to the special medical treatment he needs. Ukrainian doctors must be allowed to see him while he remains in detention, as required by a recent injunction from the European Court of Human Rights.
“Crimean Tatar activist Edem Bekirov was detained on 12 December 2018 upon entry into the Crimean peninsula illegally annexed by Russia. Mr. Bekirov also needs daily medical assistance given his health condition. We expect him to be released without delay and granted access to urgent and appropriate medical care.”
Ms. Kocijancic also called for the immediate release of the crew of the three Ukrainian vessels captured by Russia in the Black Sea in November.
“International human rights observers must be granted full, free and unhindered access to the Crimean peninsula,” she also said, adding that the European Union “remains committed to fully implementing its policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.”
Russia seized control of Ukraine’s Crimea region in March 2014, after sending in troops and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries.
Moscow is also backing separatists in a war against Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 10,300 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.
With information from the European Union.