Political prisoners’ relatives both in Crimea and in Russia appeal to introduce new sanctions against the Russian Federation (TEXT)

The relatives of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian political prisoners staying in the occupied Crimea or on the territory of Russia appealed to the members of the European Parliament with a request to include into the resolution text which would be considered this week the items related to the extending sanctions against the Russian Federation.

In their appeal the political prisoners’ relatives ask for providing an access to the international monitoring missions and independent doctors into Crimea.

«This week the European Parliament will vote for a resolution on Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and the situation in the occupied Crimea. For now the text document is being discussed by different political groups that determine their position», LetMyPeolpeGo campaign activists wrote on Facebook.

The appeal to the members of the European Parliament was made by the political prisoners’ relatives together with human rights activists.

«There is impossible to provide a fair justice in the authoritarian Russia. The only chance for our relatives to return home and stop the growth of political repression in the occupied Crimea is to increase international pressure on Russia that ostentatiously ignores the principles of international law», the text authors emphasized.

Voting for the resolution on Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and the situation in Crimea will be held in the European Parliament on Thursday, March 16. The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko earlier called it «another evidence of solidarity with Ukraine».

The newsblog «15 minutes» publishes the full text appeal.

«Dear MPs!

We, the relatives of imprisoned for political reasons Ukrainian citizens in Russia and the occupied Crimea, and «Euromaidan SOS» initiative group leading «LetMyPeolpeGo» campaign aimed to free them are writing to you expecting to be heard.

The third year at a stretch we are fighting for a release of Ukrainian citizens put to Russian prison on trumped up criminal charges. During this time their number steadily is growing up and there are now at least 44 people. Among them there are a film director Oleg Sentsov who is recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, a human rights activist Emir Usein Kuku, a journalist Roman Sushchenko, Deputy Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Akhtem Chiygoz and many others.

Repressive counter-terrorist and counter-extremist legislation in Russia gives various advantages to implement crackdown on dissent. The persecution technology is worked perfectly. After being arrested person is immediately applied the isolation policy. The Ukrainian consul is not allowed to visit a detainee for months. An independent lawyer chosen by detainee’s family can be unreasonably denied access to his client. Moreover, they torture a person to secure false confessions for crimes he has not committed. There is practiced in Crimea a forced placement of detainee without a legal decision to a psychiatric hospital for 28 days where it is continued questioning without the lawyer’s presence.

This year the occupation authorities in Crimea had revealingly begun arresting the lawyers of their political prisoners and people carrying parcels to them. This means that the unfreedom index in the occupied peninsula has reached its critical point and requires an immediate international community’s response.

There is impossible to have a fair justice in the authoritarian Russia. The only chance for our relatives to return home and stop the growth of political repression in the occupied Crimea is to increase international pressure on Russia that ostentatiously ignores the principles of international law.

Therefore we appeal to you with the request to include the resolution text of the European Parliament on the Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and the situation in Crimea the following thesis:

1. to introduce a new type of the European Union sanctions against the Russian Federation for the massive human rights violations in the occupied Crimea;

2. to appoint a special European Union delegate in the occupied Crimea and Donbas region to carry out continuous monitoring the situation of human rights violations on Ukrainian territories that are under the effective control of the Russian Federation;

3. to initiate corruption investigations in the European Union members states to detect tainted money and political ties of Russian officials that implements deliberate policy of human rights violations to preserve authoritarian regime;

4. to demand from the Russian Federation an unimpeded access to the occupied Crimea of the international intergovernmental organizations, including the UN monitoring mission on Human Rights, the OSCE assessment on the situation of human rights in Crimea, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Convention and other institutional mechanisms of Europe, etc.;

5. to require from the Russian Federation to stop the political persecution practices and immediately releasing Ukrainian citizens imprisoned for political reasons in the occupied Crimea, and until that to provide their fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom from torture, right to an effective remedy, right to a fair trial, etc;

6. to establish a permanent monitoring of the trumped-up cases on victims of political persecution in the Russian Federation and the occupied Crimea, and to continue the practice of participating the diplomats of the MS of the European Union in trials that are held in the Russian Federation;

7. to organize missions that involve independent doctors to the places of detention of the Ukrainian citizens imprisoned on political grounds in the occupied Crimea to monitor their living conditions and health state;

8. to create a task force in order to make a list of people involved in the trumped up criminal cases against the Ukrainian citizens detained on political grounds in the Russian Federation and the occupied Crimea, and to introduce personal sanctions against them.

Natalia Kochneva, Oleg Sentsov’s cousin

Sushchenko Angela, Roman Sushchenko’s wife

Sushchenko Julia, Roman Sushchenko’s daughter

Oksana Zakhtey, Andrey Zakhtey’s wife

Tamara Klykh, Stanislav Klykh’s mother

Roman Klykh, Stanislav Klykh’s father

Gennadiy Afanasiev, released in 2016

Olga Afanasieva, Gennadiy Afanasiev’s mother

Igor Kotelyanets, Evgeniy Panov’s brother

Petro Dudka, Vladimir Dudka’s  brother

Marina Trofimenko, Vladimir Dudka’s common-law wife

Margarita Galushko, Vladimir Dudka’s ex-wife

Petro Vygivskiy, Valentin Vygivskiy’s father

Galina Vygivska, Valentin Vygivskiy’s mother

Julia Shyptur, Nikolay Shyptur’s wife

Olena Karpiuk, Nikolay Karpiuk’s wife

Yurko Yatsenko, released in 2015

 

We, subscribers and relatives of imprisoned for political reasons the Ukrainian citizens in Russia, confirm in our appeal to the European Parliament the exact massive violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, persecution and other methods of pressure on dissidents.

Larisa Kolchenko, Aleksander Kolchenko’s mother

Olena Kostenko,  Aleksander Kostenko’s mother

Ilya Kavernykov, Vladimir Dudka’s son

Oleksiy Shtyblykov, Dmitriy Shtyblykov’s brother

Tetiana Boyevets, Dmitriy Shtyblykov’s daughter

Mavile Degermendzhy, Mustafa Degemendzhy’s sister

Elnara Asanova, Ali Asanov’s wife

Huzal Saledinova, Ayder Saledinov’s wife

Mergem Zeytullayeva, Ruslan Zeytullayev’s wife

Alie Padosheva, Rustem Vaitov’s wife

Elzara Sayfullayeva, Ferat Seyfullayev’s wife

Primova Raisa, Georgiy Primov’s mother

Merie Kuku, Emir-Usein Kuku’s wife

Ebazer Kuku, Emir-Usein Kuku’s brother

Nadzhie Adzhi-Mamutova, Muslim Aliev’s wife

Gulsum Aliyeva, Muslim Aliev’s daughter

Nuri Aliyev, Muslim Aliev’s father

Diliara Aliyeva, Muslim Aliyev’s mother

Emir Aliyev, Muslim Aliyev’s brother

Fevzi Aliyev, Muslim Aliyev’s uncle

Bekirova Natalia, Inver Bekirov’s wife

Lyumanova Emine, Refat Alimov’s mother

Nazarbekova Leniye, Refat Alimov’s sister

Elvira Asanova, Refat Alimov’s sister

Bahacheva Anna, Vadim Siruk’s wife

Siruk Natalia, Vadim Siruk’s mother

Siruk Andrey, Vadim Siruk’s father

Suprunenko Victoria, Vadim Siruk’s sister

Siruk Vitaliy, Vadim Siruk’s brother

Dzhepparova Zarina, Arsen Dzhepparov’s wife

Dzhepparova Arzi, Arsen Dzhepparov’s mother

Elvira Memetova, Remzi Memetov’s wife

Eskender Memetov,  Remzi Memetov’s son

Dilyaver Memetov, Remzi Memetov’s son

Mamutova (Abselyamova) Alie, Enver Mamutov’s wife

Mamutova Zarema, Enver Mamutov’s  mother

Abiltarova Elzara, Rustem Abiltarov’s wife

Abiltarova Aisha, Rustem Abiltarov’s mother

Abiltarov Riza, Rustem Abiltarov’s brother

Abiltarov Ruslan, Rustem Abiltarov’s brother

Abiltarova Lenara, Rustem Abiltarov’s sister

Abseitova Fatma, Zevri Abseitov’s wife

Dzhemadenova Lina, Emil Dzhemadenov’s wife

Alime Abdullayeva, Teymur Riza oglu Abdullayev’s wife

Fera Abdullayeva, Uzair Riza oglu Abdullayev’s wife

Ismailova Fatma, Rustem Ismailov’s wife

Kurbedinov Emil, a lawyer brought to administrative arrest

Saliyev Seyran, three times brought to administrative responsibility, fines and arrest

Sherfiyev Enver, brought to administrative responsibility and fine

Belialov Osman, brought to administrative responsibility and fine

Bilialov Emil, brought to administrative responsibility and fine

Bilialov Amin, brought to administrative responsibility and fine

Asanov Marlen, brought to administrative responsibility and fine

Arifmemetov Osman, brought to administrative arrest

Bekirov Remzi, brought to administrative arrest

Ruslan Suleymanov, brought to administrative arrest

Valeriy Grigor, brought to administrative arrest

Izetov Riza, brought to administrative arrest

Abdurakhmanov Abliakim, brought to administrative arrest

Abdurakhmanov Medzhit, brought to administrative arrest

Karimov Alim, brought to administrative arrest

Seyran Murtaza, brought to administrative arrest

Marlen Mustafayev, brought to administrative arrest

Tasinov Enver, brought to administrative arrest».