Ukrainian ombudsman proposes she and Russian colleague visit Ukrainians held in Russia
KYIV. Sept 29 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Valeria Lutkovska has suggested to her Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, organizing a joint visit to meet with Oleh Sentsov, Roman Sushchenko, Mykola Karpiuk, Stalislav Klykh, and other Ukrainian citizens who are in detention in Russia.
"Our joint monitoring visits to the Simferopol and Mykolaiv detention facilities were received positively by representatives of public, human rights, and international organizations. The high evaluation of our joint efforts in the sphere of the protection of the human rights of citizens of both states shows that there is social demand for the further development and strengthening of such forms of practical cooperation," Lutkovska's press service quoted from her letter.
Lutkovska had proposed that she and Moskalkova pay a joint visit to Ukrainian penitentiary establishments for the purpose of monitoring the observance of the rights of Russian citizens held there.
They visited Viktor Ageyev, who is in the Starobelsky detention facility in the Luhansk region. Lutkovska began working on his case in July 2017 after his mother contacted the Ukrainian Human Rights Commission with regard to the observance of his rights.
"In this way, we can develop the practice of reciprocal joint monitoring visits to detention facilities to study the observance of the rights of citizens of both states in these establishments and inform society about human rights observance," Lutkovska said.