There are currently 108 Ukrainian citizens in Italian jails. Most of them were imprisoned for illegally transporting migrants, although several have been recognized as victims of human trafficking, the Verkhvna Rada's Ombudswoman for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has sad.

"Some 108 Ukrainians are now in Italian prisons. Most were detained for illegal transportation of migrants, but among them there are people recognized as victims of human trafficking. Five have already been released from detention by court decision. Ukraine's Interior Ministry is preparing the relevant documents," Denisova said on her Facebook page following a meeting with Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Davide La Cecilia in Kyiv on Thursday.

Denisova said Italy is chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe this year and she appealed to the ambassador with a request to support Ukrainian political prisoners and Ukraine in the international arena, as well as to urge Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.

"We also spoke about the real state of affairs in the exchange of our political prisoners who are kept in Russia and occupied Crimea. I said I do not have the opportunity to receive full information from my Russian counterpart about the real state of health of Oleh Sentsov and Volodymyr Balukh. This issue of their release has not been resolved by Russia," she said.

She also talked about the situation with the detained seamen of the fishing vessel Nord and the YMK0041.

"The situation develops in such a way that, in fact, Russia is now blocking the return home of sailors from both ships. Ukraine has done everything in its power to secure their release," she said.