Currently 87 Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia-occupied Crimea - KrymSOS
KYIV. Oct 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) - As of October 2019, in Russia-occupied Crimea there are 87 people – Ukrainian Crimean Tatar activists – political prisoners, Coordinator of the KrymSOS (CrimeaSOS) human rights organization Coordinator Tamila Tasheva has said.
"Of these, there are 63 Crimean Tatars, Crimean Muslims who are involved in these matters. In total, if we are talking about Ukrainian hostages, then there are 87 people. Not so long ago there were 86, but Ukrainian activist Oleh Prykhodko was detained last week. He is in pretrial detention center," Tasheva said at a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Tuesday.
Tasheva said Russia-occupation authorities use Russian criminal legislation to prosecute people on ethnic, religious grounds, as well as for ethnic discrimination and pressure on the activist environment on the peninsula.
Tasheva noted that all lists of Ukrainian citizens arrested in Crimea were transferred to the President's Office.
"Lists of the political prisoners have been passed on to both the previous president and the newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky. These are consolidated lists made by public organizations. Communicating the information to the President's Office is a permanent job," she said.
Commenting on the possible release of political prisoners, Tasheva said Ukrainian authorities do not forget about anyone.
"As far as we know, the closest exchange planned is for prisoners in eastern Ukraine. The next will be an exchange of prisoners who are in Russia and the occupied peninsula."