On Sunday, the European Union condemned “as strongly as possible” the arrests and abductions of journalists, civil society activists, local officials and other civilians in Ukraine by Russian occupation troops and their representatives.
” The European Union condemns as strongly as possible the behavior of Russian occupation troops and their agents, who are arresting, abducting or abducting Ukrainian journalists, civil society activists, local officials and other civilians in the Ukrainian territories temporarily under control illegal and illegitimate involvement of the Russian armed forces,” Peter Stano, spokesman for the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said in a statement.
He insisted that “these worrying events” often affect volunteers trying to help their communities with food, medicine and water, as well as journalists “who expose the truth about events on the ground.”
Among the most prominent cases he mentioned that of Oleg Baturin, director of the media outlet “Novy Den”, or that of “Hromadske” journalist Victoria Roshchyna, as well as those of activist Olha Haisumova and Serhii Tsyhipa, who disappeared in recent days and weeks.
“The Russian occupiers continue their deplorable tactic of abducting representatives of municipal and regional administrations,” he added.
Among them, the mayor of Dniprorudny, Yevgen Matveyev; the chairman of the Melitopol District Council, Sergii Pryima; the mayor of Ivankov, Tetiana Svyrydenko; the deputy head of the Shchastia civil-military administration, Volodymir Tiurin; the secretary of the Skadovsk City Council, Yuriy Paliukh, or the staff member of emergency response Oleksii Danchenko.
“The list of Ukrainian citizens illegally detained is much longer and growing every day,” said the spokesman.
He also assured that the EU “takes note” of the release of Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, previously kidnapped, and Velykoburlutska Mayor Viktor Tereshchenko, and also demanded the “immediate release of all Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by the Russian occupying forces.”
He recalled that, according to the judgment of the International Court of Justice of March 16, Russia “must cease its military action and withdraw all military forces and equipment from all the territory of Ukraine immediately and unconditionally.”
The spokesman concluded by saying that the EU reiterates its call on Russia to “immediately” establish unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine.
KIDNAPPING OF MAYORS
Josep Borrell, assured that the community club “strongly condemns” the abductions of the mayors of the Ukrainian cities of Melitopol and Dniprorudne by the Russian armed forces.
“The EU strongly condemns the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne by the Russian armed forces,” the Spanish politician wrote on his Twitter profile.
He added that the kidnappings represent “another attack on democratic institutions in Ukraine and an attempt to establish illegitimate alternative governance structures in a sovereign country.”
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Russia's “indiscriminate” shelling of civilians in Ukraine, as well as the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne.
“Such abductions and other pressure on local authorities in Ukraine are another flagrant violation of international law. Russia's military and political aggression against Ukraine must cease,” he added on Twitter.
(with information from EFE)
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