Russia blocks prisoner exchange, demanding clearance of nine previously released militants - Harmash

Russia is blocking the exchange of prisoners, demanding a legal clearance of nine previously released militants. Representative of CADO in the Trilateral Contact Group Serhiy Harmash wrote this on his Facebook.

"They are still blocking the exchange, demanding the procedural clearance of 9 people whom we gave them during the last exchange. We cannot legally "clear" them without their desire or presence, and their desires and whereabouts are unknown not only to us, but also to their lawyers… That side knows this, but uses it as an excuse to block the exchange", - Harmash explained the situation.

"But the most cynical thing is the very fact that the procedural clearance of people who are already free and who do not really need this clearance in Ukraine is put on one scale pan (they fought against Ukraine, which means they hate it), and on the other - freedom, the life and health of those who have been sitting in basements for years, and for them it is not just "procedural clearance" that is relevant, but at least just the opportunity to wash themselves…", - the representative of the occupied Donbas emphasizes in the TCG.

He also clarified that Russia continues to violate the direct agreement of N-4 in Paris on the admission of the International Committee of the Red Cross to places of the detainees detention. "Having given the opportunity to visit 4 people in 4 months, CADLO blocked the work of the ICRC on prisoners. Due to supposedly "quarantine" restrictions, neither relatives nor anyone else can visit them. But on our territory, their people are being visited in places of detention by the ICRC and even by relatives. This is an indicator of the general attitude towards people", - Serhiy Harmash told.