Ukraine can file a lawsuit against Russia on persecution and abduction of Ukrainian citizens (VIDEO)

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is preparing to file a separate interstate lawsuit against Russia concerning political prisoners in the occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation.

Ukraine is working with lawyers and relatives of political prisoners, and in the European Court of Human Rights Ukrainian Commissioner’s office a special group has been set up for developing a mechanism for filing such a claim.

This was broadcast on ATR TV channel by the Minister of Justice Pavel Petrenko.

According to Petrenko, the interstate lawsuit will have a stronger legal force than, for example, an individual political prisoner’s lawsuit against the Russian Federation.

“We will show that the Russian Federation’s justice system, which pursues definite Ukrainian citizens, is not intended to set the criminal case commission. They are persecuted only on one basis of their citizenship of another state”, he said.

The Minister noted that filing a lawsuit against Russia could have a negative impact on the political prisoners themselves, and therefore the Ministry of Justice is currently actively working with their relatives and human rights activists.