Some Kyiv-held captives refusing to return to Donbas come to separation line to verify their decision

18:26, 27.12.2017 1 min read

Some of the people who were previously listed as Kyiv-held captives to be exchanged for captives held by the self-proclaimed Donbas republics and who refused to travel to Donbas territories not controlled by Kyiv came to the exchange point on Wednesday to confirm their decision in person, Mykhailo Chaplyha, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada human rights commissioner, said on Wednesday.

"About 5% of the people on the list said as early as in September that they refused to travel, and this was documented by representatives of the so-called DPR and LPR [self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics]. These people were removed from the list at the negotiations in Minsk. However, to confirm veracity of their decision, these people came to the separation line and reaffirmed their unwillingness to be transferred in the presence of international monitors," Chaplyha said on the 112.Ukraine television channel.

He declined to say exactly how many people did so.