The Trilateral Contact Group discussed new disengagements areas and prisoner exchange during the meeting in Minsk. DPR Commissioner for Human Rights Darya Morozova commented on the results of the meeting in an exclusive interview with a correspondent of the DPR Official Website.
“I would like to note that the appointed Gennady Kuznetsov is not new to the negotiation process, as the humanitarian subgroup has always had SBU representatives present for five years. It is hard to understand what Zelensky is guided by when appointing the person representing the security agency as an official representative from Kiev to the humanitarian subgroup, since UN reports indicate that SBU officers systematically violate human rights and arrest people illegally.
The Ukrainian side systematically and purposefully is dragging out the process of prisoner exchange, thus violating the Minsk Agreements. In two months, Ukraine managed to legally clear and stop criminal prosecution only against one person. The exchange will be considered completed only when all the participants in this exchange are legally cleared completely. Therefore, the arrangement of a new exchange depends directly on the promptness of actions of the Ukrainian side,” Darya Morozova said.
She also noted that the Donetsk People’s Republic had always fulfilled its obligations and been open to dialogue.
“During the meeting they discussed the map of missing people and issues of organizing the search for genetic material and its confirmation. This is a huge layer of work, whose solution requires a direct contact between the Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine and the establishment of a mechanism of joint activities, providing the necessary work on the spot directly,” the Ombudsperson commented.
In addition, she stressed that in order to start a new process of prisoner exchange, the Ukrainian side must close all the existing criminal cases, legally clear all those arrested and fulfill all its commitments to exchange prisoners. And Zelensky, as the President of the country, is obliged to make sure that this procedure is carried out and the guarantees he gave are fulfilled, instead of making load statements.