I have become aware of another case of the Ukrainian side’s “compliance” with the obligations on procedural clearance during the mutual transfer of convicted persons. Vladimir Tsemakh, who was earlier kidnapped by Ukrainian saboteurs from the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, was transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation on September 7 as a result of the agreements reached earlier between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
Today the Security Service of Ukraine issued a wanted notice against him as a fugitive from the preliminary investigation. This situation is complicated be the fact that the Ukrainian representatives transferred this citizen in exchange for several Ukrainian citizens convicted in the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to the official data of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the date of disappearance of Tsemakh is September 23. This indicates that Ukraine deliberately failed to carry out the procedural clearance for the purpose of further criminal prosecution against him.
If the Ukrainian authorities do not fulfill commitments they made under international legal relations, there are no guarantees that the official Ukrainian government will refuse to prosecute persons involved in the process of exchange as part of the Minsk Agreements. Representatives of the Ukrainian power once again demonstrate their failure to fulfil any of their commitments. The principled stance of the Republic is that Ukraine has to make a decision on stopping the criminal prosecution of persons participating in the exchange, since this is a key component of the negotiating process.
Such actions undermine Ukraine’s credibility, including as an entity of international legal relations, and devalue the thousands of hours of painstaking work and negotiations within the Trilateral Contact Group.