EUROLEADER and EAST UKRAINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CENTRE
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TOPIC OF THE ISSUE INQUISITION FROM THE NEW AUTHORITIES IN THE DONBASS Sergiy was lucky and he managed to get out after 8 hours of beatings. Then he talked about these events in general terms, without details, fearing for the safety of the participants. Now he tells with the details. We must remember this and never forget. In such a way the Russian invaders imposed their power. Sergiy writes: Exactly one year ago I was abducted, then tortured by the separatists of the so-called “Donetsk People Republic”. I particularly did not tell how it all had been, but a year later, I decided to describe this event with the hope that it will help someone to understand that there is a possible split in the society and that we all live under a God surveillance. On 25th of February, 2014, in Donetsk we began an interfaith prayer marathon. People of different faiths went every day to the city centre to perform a prayer. Later on, at the prayer place we made a prayer tent in yellow and blue design with the words “We pray for peace, love and integrity of Ukraine”, and every day from 50 to 300 people came there to pray. That time in Donetsk the separatist movements entered its active phase. Just above our prayer tent on Lenin Square, the separatists organized their camp and every weekend in the city they began to make anti-Ukrainian meetings and marches. One day the gunmen seized the building of the State Security Service, prosecutor’s office, Donetsk Regional State Administration and other state institutions. At that time, in the city the separatists had suppressed all pro-Ukrainian visible sympathies, except only us. However, the format of our meetings for the separatists was not very comfortable, on the one hand we did not hide our position for the integrity of the country, and on the other hand our prayer meetings had a prayer form, and these prayers were performed by the representatives of the Roman and Greek Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and even Muslim Mufti and everyone was dressed in the ceremonial clothing of its denomination. Moreover, among the separatists there were many locals, who knew us and we knew them. Several times I went to the building of the captured Donetsk RSA... www.euroleader.in.ua
IN TODAY’S ISSUE:
Inquisition from the new authorities 2 in the Donbass
Occupied Donbass needs truth
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Verhovna rada legalized the human 5 rights violations in Ukraine. Russia sent in the direction of Ukraine a column of the multiple launch rocket systems “Hurricane”.
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There is an evidence that Russian commandos are in the Donbass on a rotational basis.
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The occupiers oblige the Crimeans to register in a military record: men are 7 forced to leave the peninsular
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EUROLEADER 2014 INQUISITION FROM THE NEW AUTHORITIES IN THE DONBASS the commandant was my friend, a former member of our church, I spoke with him and at the same time I got to know their plans regarding our prayer marathon. On 24th of May 2014, the militants came up to our prayer tent, they directed their guns at our guys, who were there on duty, and they broke the tent and threw its remains with all utensils in the river Kalmius. After their “work” they had gone, while threatening to shoot anyone if once again we gather for prayer. When I knew about what had happed I immediately arrived to our prayer place and decided to go to the Administration to speak with my acquaintance in order to know what we do next. Having arrived at the Administration, I did not find my acquaintance, but there I met my friend. Seeing him, I truly rejoiced and began asking about his life, but I saw that he was not happy to see me. He began to yell at me that I was a scoundrel and other cruel things, at the same time he saw TV broadcasts on the channel “Russia 24”. Then the armed men came and took me to the 11th floor and there they began the first interrogation. One militant with the Caucasian appearance, with the accent in his voice hit me the first time and became to ask who I was. Then they called for my friend, who began to give evidence against me. He said that I collected people in a camouflage of a prayer, that I push forward the “ antinational” ideas and all of this kind. After that, they already beat me at all sides. I remember my face was drowned in blood and from my rugged lips warm drops of blood fell on the marble floor of the corridor. Then they took me to the floor below, entering the floor corridor, I read the inscription on the door “Police of the Donetsk People Republic”, and there they made a real interrogation. They took everything from my pockets: money, a bank card, car keys. Five men beat me with sticks, feet, fists. They checked my pages in the social networks and if they found something that they did not like, they continued to beat me. In the social network “Odnoklassniki” (Classmates), they found photos where I was in Lviv in front of the monument to Stepan Bandera, and for the separatist it was already enough that in their eyes I was a criminal ... Then again they called for my friend and began to ask who I was. He said that I was a pastor, but began again to emphasize that I collected people for the antinational propaganda, and that I was with Lyashko from the same company and another delirium that seemed true in their eyes. www.euroleader.in.ua
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EUROLEADER 2014
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INQUISITION FROM THE NEW AUTHORITIES IN THE DONBASS All my face was covered with blood, I smiled and asked my friend how long ago he ceased to be a human. They took my clothes off to see the presence of tattoos on the body, half naked I was taken to one of the rooms, where in a corner there was a mattress, and the separatists said that this was now my home temporarily, then they promised me other tortures. They tied on my neck and my wrist yellow-blue ribbons, previously promised to hang me on one of them. Periodically people came into the room and continued to beat me, it was different people, they beat me one after another or simultaneously. They beat me with sticks and whips at the painful body places that ripped my flesh, but did not bring serious damages to the internal organs. That’s when I thought that they were not going to kill me. Between the beatings, I was accused of sectarianism and inquired how many people from the Right sector I had brought with me. I remember a young pretty girl of 25 came in and asked my tormentors to try to beat me. And at the general approval of the crowd, she struck me several blows with a stick, for her entertainment. When they beat me, I was praying, I was telling people around me about God. The news about a strange prisoner in the dungeons of the police quickly spread around. Then one guy named “Kolobok” came to me and said he was a believer too and in Kiev he attended a church “Philadelphia” and after a brief conversation he went somewhere. And then one man came, who was their commander, and began shouting at them all very much. Cursing, he ordered to give all my things back, the car and the money taken out of my cards, and said that everybody had to ask my forgiveness. I did not expect such a turn of events. While all were confused and thought what had happened, the commander approached me and said that he departed from God, and he was once at the rehabilitation centre of the church “New Generation” of Pastor Tishchenko in Pershotravneve, and maybe saving me, he hoped to get some mercy from God. All asked me for forgiveness except the Caucasian, who hated all, including my executioners. After 8 hours of the continuous tortures, I was taken to a hospital where they stitched all torn and provided me with a medical assistance.
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EUROLEADER 2014 OCCUPIED DONBASS NEEDS TRUTH
Since the beginning of the conflict in the East of Ukraine the volunteers and human rights defenders of Euroleader work at the forefront of the struggle for human rights and disseminate the accurate information on the territories, occupied by the Russian terrorist forces. Report of Boris Nemtsov, “Putin. War.” caused a especially great interest among the inhabitants of the East of Ukraine. On 28th of May, 2015 the terrorists seized the car, which was carrying a large number of copies of a special issue of Newsletter with this report. According to our information the entire issue was seized and the driver arrested. Human rights defender Anna B. of Euroleader, who works in captured by the terrorists Debaltseve comments on the situation: “I strongly condemn the barbaric terrorist actions against the fundamental human rights and freedom of speech. To stop the terrorist outrage and an
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escalation of violence is possible only through telling the truth about the war. That is why, I recommend to all the inhabitants of the eastern Ukraine, especially the inhabitants of the territories, seized by the terrorists, to read the report of Boris Nemtsov, “Putin. War” on the site of Euroleader (www.euroleader. in.ua). Despite the fact that the terrorists threaten to kill us, we have already begun to replicate the report of Boris Nemtsov at the local printing equipment, and in the coming days we will renew its distribution. I believe, that through our joint efforts and with the support of the international community, we will break through the information blockade of our temporarily occupied region”.
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EUROLEADER 2014
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VERHOVNA RADA LEGALIZED THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN UKRAINE. Well-known human rights defenders Andrey Drevitskiy and Andrey Kiselev, who work in the eastern Ukraine emphasize, that the human rights are not actually respected in the Donbass now by all sides of the armed conflict. The adoption of the resolution №2765 will strengthen the existing situation. “Now we expect an increase of the human rights violations by the police and the judiciary, due to the fact that this resolution does not allow the citizens, whose rights are violated, to appeal to the European Court of human rights and protect their rights,” – Andrey Drevitskiy said in an interview. Ukraine officially refused to fulfil its obligations under the Convention on human rights protection. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a statement of a withdrawal from the certain obligations under the International Covenant on civil and political rights and the European Convention on human rights protection to the complete cessation of the armed aggression of Russia. On Thursday, May 21st, 2015, 249 deputies voted for the relevant resolution of the statement of the Parliament of Ukraine. The initiator of the document was the Deputy Speaker of Verhova Rada Oksana Syroyid. It is noted that the resolution is the basis for Ukraine deviation from the obligations of the Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the International Covenant on civil and political rights and the European social charter (revised). The deviation based on the fact that due to the armed aggression from the side of Russia, which created a threat to the existence of the Ukrainian nation by violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, Ukraine takes the necessary measures for the resistance, which deviate from the obligations under the international treaties. According to the resolution Ukraine intends to derogate from obligations under: — art. 2 (protection of the rights and their effective protection), 9 (unlawful arrest), 12 (freedom of movement and choice of residence), 14 (rules of the trial) and 17 (protection from arbitrary or unlawful interference in a private and family life) of the International Covenant on civil and political rights; — art. 5 (right to liberty and personal security), 6 (right to a fair trial), 8 (right to respect private and family life) and Art. 13 (right for an effective legal protection) of the Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The statement notes that Ukraine makes the derogation in the certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in the connection with the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) for the period until the complete cessation of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. The task of this resolution is to create a legal basis, based on which the government of Ukraine through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will notify the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the measures, which Ukraine implements because of the need to repel the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
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EUROLEADER 2014 VERHOVNA RADA LEGALIZED THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN UKRAINE.
The explanatory memorandum states that only Parliament as a representative body can recognize the fact and scope of Ukraine derogation from the obligations under international treaties concerning the human rights. We also note that art. 15 of European Convention on the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms provides the right of derogation from the compliance of the obligations in the emergency situations. In case, when a side does not deviate from its obligations, it means that Ukraine is responsible for the violations of the human rights including uncontrolled Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, we have already some examples, when countries retreated from its obligations Turkey and Ireland took advantage of this when they needed it.
RUSSIA SENT IN THE DIRECTION OF UKRAINE A COLUMN OF THE MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEMS “HURRICANE”. On Sunday, May 24, a large number of Russian military vehicles, including multiple launch rocket systems “Hurricane”, were noticed in the Rostov region of Russia near the border with Ukraine. A convoy of dozens of military vehicles, including multiple launch rocket systems “Hurricane”, military trucks without license plates and several armoured personnel carriers crossed the southern Russian city of Matviyiv Kurgan on 24th of May and drew in the field from the road near the border with Ukraine.
THE TERRORISTS CUT TO JUNK A MINE IN GORLIVKA.
The terrorists cut the metal at the Lenin mine in Gorlivka into junk. This can increase the level of ground water and falling of methane in the basements of houses that threatens the ecological situation in the East of Ukraine and carries the risk for local residents.
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EUROLEADER 2014 THERE IS AN EVIDENCE THAT RUSSIAN COMMANDOS ARE IN THE DONBASS ON A ROTATIONAL BASIS.
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Russian commandos on a rotational basis are in the Donbass from April 2014 and engaged in the intelligence and subversive activities. This was stated by the Director of the intelligence department of the Security Service of Ukraine Vitaliy Naida at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, 21st of May. Right after the illegal annexation of the Crimea, when the active phase of the conflict, provoked by Russia, was completed, third separate brigade of the Russian special forces was relocated in the Luhansk region and nearly from April of last year it is on a rotational basis on the territory of Ukraine. Since April 2014 there were at least 4 rotations of the brigade, each time 200-220 soldiers changed. The proof of this is the technically documented materials that will be attached to the criminal cases. The last rotation took place in February 18, 2015, the first its location was in Molodogvardiysk and headquarters is located in Luhansk. After the incident with the seizure of two members of the Russian General Intelligence Department, in 17th of May units located in Ukraine received a combat order to move immediately to Russia to prevent their identification, including the observers of OSCE. Ukrainian counterintelligence disposes a clear evidence of the captain Evgeniy Erofeev group activities in 20 different places in the Donbass. This group prepared and conducted sabotages, prepared ambushes, mined the territories, put the bombs to kill civilians, engaged in the liquidation of the Ukrainian soldiers. The last battle order of the group, which Erofeev group received was to capture town Schastiya. “We identifed 14 of 16 military personnel (of the Erofeev group ). We know their names, pseudonyms, military ranks and we will send these data to the international courts, “- Ukrainian counterintelligence representative said.
THE OCCUPIERS OBLIGE THE CRIMEANS TO REGISTER IN A MILITARY RECORD: MEN ARE FORCED TO LEAVE THE PENINSULAR IN ORDER NOT TO STARVE AND NOT TO BE TRAITORS. Coordinator of the Committee of the rights protection of the Crimean Tatar people, member of Medjlis Eskender Bariev claims that compulsory military registration of men in the occupied by Russia Crimea makes the men to go to the mainland of Ukraine or to get a Russian military ticket. In the latter case the Crimeans fear that they could be accused of treason. “After the occupation of the Crimea the Russian Federation RF obliges all men to 55 years to register in the military record. Without such a registration men do not have the employment opportunities both in the budget and in off-budget institutions, enterprises and organizations, as well as they cannot register as entrepreneurs, or they are subjected to fines at a rate of 500-1500 thousand rubls. Thus, they make men or to leave the Crimea, because they must feed their families, or to get Russian military tickets. They do not return the documents to the persons, who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have Ukrainian military tickets, they are given already Russian military tickets. People are concerned, in the first case, or to starve or to leave the Crimea, in the second case they could be charged with treason ..... “- the coordinator of the Committee of the rights protection of the Crimean Tatar people. www.euroleader.in.ua
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