In the past two weeks, the United States and NATO countries have opened still another line of attack on Russia in their ongoing high pitch information war: the seizure by the Russian navy of three Ukrainian vessels attempting unsanctioned entry to the Kerch Straits, together with the arrest of their crews who have been treated medically, as necessary, and dispatched to a prison in Moscow for interrogation.
In light of the sound and fury over the Ukrainian sailors, it seems to me that the moment is especially opportune to bring to the attention of the world community, and in particular to the attention of Amnesty International, the Council of Europe and other institutions and political forces defending the cause of human rights the following inhumane treatment by the government in Kiev of prisoners of war and prisoners of conscience.
Here the objective is not to score propaganda points but to secure urgently needed assistance to named individuals currently in Ukrainian detention centers.
As happens in cases like this, I received the list from friends of friends serving in the Moscow embassy of an EU country. Accordingly I have every reason to believe in its accuracy and impartiality.
List of prisoners of war and political prisoners in Ukraine who are in need of urgent medical assistance and material aid
1. Medical care is not being provided.
2. Their cases are not really being examined by the courts. The cases are being transferred from tribunal to tribunal, where the court sessions only consider the question of extending the preventive detention measures.
3. Complaints have been filed with international organizations with respect to numerous violations of human rights law, namely : abuse of power of the forces of law and order, violations during the examination of files by the judges (at all stages of the judicial proceedings). Ukrainian government authorities have responded in a formalistic manner and propose to investigate the violations (practically none of these cases has been brought to trial).
