The issue of the legal clearance of prisoners, whom Ukraine returned in the swap in December 2019, is one of the highest priorities for the Commissioner for Human Rights in the DPR. In an interview with a correspondent of the DPR Official Website, Daria Morozova told whether the Ukrainian party implements its obligations.
“Ukraine systematically disregards the paragraph of prisoners’ legal clearance, which is the most important condition for the swap. The Donetsk People’s Republic fully implements the obligations taken regarding the legal clearance. Our people released in 2017 faced severe problems, their civil rights were violated due to the fact that criminal cases had been brought against them in Ukraine,” Daria Morozova said.
Before the swap of 2019, the Ukrainian party proposed to release the prisoners on personal recognizance.
“In turn, we insisted that the court cases of those released be considered in absentia, without their presence. In the case of an acquittal, a person becomes completely free, but if the verdict is guilty, the Ukrainian party assumes the obligation to clear him by pardon at our request.
I would like to emphasize that the 2019 swap will be considered completed only when all those who returned are completely cleared legally,” Daria Morozova said.