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| Kiev & Donbass hold E. Ukraine conflict’s largest prisoner exchange | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| In Donbass, the conflict in eastern Ukraine has seen its largest exchange of prisoners, between Kiev and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. | |
| According to the agreement between the sides, the Ukrainian authorities were to hand over 306 prisoners to the People’s Republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) and get 74 prisoners in return from them. | |
| LPR’s representative Olga Kobtseva has confirmed that the exchange has been completed. “We’ve been handed 75 people,” Kobtseva said as cited by RIA Novosti. However, details soon emerged suggesting the course the event took was not entirely smooth. | |
| The Ukrainian Parliament’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Valeria Lutkovskaya, said that not all of the people on Kiev’s list were delivered to the exchange. “43 people, who should’ve been among the 306 prisoners from the Ukrainian side, have served their sentence and were released from custody. Therefore, they didn’t come,” Lutkovskaya told Hromadske TV. | |
| Meanwhile, 10-15 people were also “refusing to return” to the self-proclaimed republics at the exchange point, she added, with Red Cross-mediated talks reportedly held to confirm their decision. Two more prisoners refused to return to Ukraine, according to DPR’s ombudsman Darya Morozova. | |
| Lawyer Valentin Rybkin, who represents several prisoners held by Kiev, said that none of his eight clients were brought for exchange. Said clients include Russian citizen Evgeny Mefedov, who was arrested in 2014 in Odessa on charges of encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. “The information that they refused to be swapped provided by Ukraine is false,” Rybkin told TASS. | |
| The parties have been preparing for the landmark exchange for almost a year and a half. Disagreements repeatedly put the event in jeopardy, but an agreement has eventually been reached. | |
| The last exchange of prisoners in Donbass took place more than 15 months ago. According to the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict, the parties vowed to conduct an exchange of prisoners based on the “all for all” principle, but the progress stalled due to disagreements, including those on the lists of persons to be exchanged. | The last exchange of prisoners in Donbass took place more than 15 months ago. According to the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict, the parties vowed to conduct an exchange of prisoners based on the “all for all” principle, but the progress stalled due to disagreements, including those on the lists of persons to be exchanged. |
| Both sides repeatedly blamed each other for trying to disrupt the process. Kiev also faced legal hurdles as some of the prisoners were charged with “serious crimes,” legally preventing them from being released. | Both sides repeatedly blamed each other for trying to disrupt the process. Kiev also faced legal hurdles as some of the prisoners were charged with “serious crimes,” legally preventing them from being released. |
| Russian President Vladimir Putin previously urged the parties to resolve any obstacles by the end of 2017, as he supported the initiative of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Choice – People’s Right movement, who met Putin in mid-November. The Russian president then discussed the initiative with the leaders of the self-proclaimed Ukrainian republics over the phone. | Russian President Vladimir Putin previously urged the parties to resolve any obstacles by the end of 2017, as he supported the initiative of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Choice – People’s Right movement, who met Putin in mid-November. The Russian president then discussed the initiative with the leaders of the self-proclaimed Ukrainian republics over the phone. |
| The date for the exchange was finally set for December 27 on Monday, after Russia’s Patriarch Kirill met with the leaders of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Leonid Pasechnik, as well as Medvedchuk. On Tuesday, Zakharchenko said he had issued a pardon of prisoners. “The last conditions were negotiated,” he said, voicing hope that “the Ukrainian side will keep its promises.” Pasechnik announced he had also signed a pardon on Wednesday. | The date for the exchange was finally set for December 27 on Monday, after Russia’s Patriarch Kirill met with the leaders of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Leonid Pasechnik, as well as Medvedchuk. On Tuesday, Zakharchenko said he had issued a pardon of prisoners. “The last conditions were negotiated,” he said, voicing hope that “the Ukrainian side will keep its promises.” Pasechnik announced he had also signed a pardon on Wednesday. |
| The place and names of people being exchanged was not disclosed in advance for security reasons. | The place and names of people being exchanged was not disclosed in advance for security reasons. |
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| OSCE official Martin Sajdik has welcomed the agreement, calling on the sides to ensure appropriate conditions for the prisoner swap. | OSCE official Martin Sajdik has welcomed the agreement, calling on the sides to ensure appropriate conditions for the prisoner swap. |
| “I welcome the agreement to exchange detained persons on December 27, 2017, reached by the parties to the conflict,” he said in a statement cited by TASS on Tuesday. Sajdik noted that the exchange “is an important step that the prisoners and their families have been waiting for” and has an important “symbolic meaning ahead of the holiday season.” | “I welcome the agreement to exchange detained persons on December 27, 2017, reached by the parties to the conflict,” he said in a statement cited by TASS on Tuesday. Sajdik noted that the exchange “is an important step that the prisoners and their families have been waiting for” and has an important “symbolic meaning ahead of the holiday season.” |