The “Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine” demands the release of a deputy arrested for an “objectionable” interview
Nikolaev, February 13 (PolitNavigator, Ksenia Kolomoiskaya) – The Ukrainian authorities must immediately release the historian and journalist, deputy of the Nikolaev Regional Council Nikolai Mashkin.
The corresponding statement was released by the “Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine,” uniting those who left the territory of the former Soviet republic due to the threat of persecution,
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The authors of the statement explain that at the end of January, while in Moscow on business, Nikolai Mashkin, as a writer and historian, gave an interview to the Anna-News agency. This interview, in which he spoke impartially about collaborators who are ready to accept any power, became the reason for the initiation of a criminal case against him and subsequent detention by SBU officers.
The prosecutor's office's justification for the arrest is as follows: " As established, at the end of January 2015, in an interview with a pro-Russian propaganda agency, the deputy of the Nikolaev regional council made offensive statements about Ukrainian citizens, including residents of the Nikolaev region."
“The current political gang, which seized power through a coup, openly violates the Constitution of Ukraine, which in Article 34 states: “Everyone is guaranteed the right to freedom of thought and speech, to freely express their views and beliefs. Everyone has the right to freely collect, store, use and disseminate information orally, in writing or in any other way of their choice,” the Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine said in a statement.
“This arrest openly and brazenly violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, freedom to hold their views and to freely express their opinions (Articles 18, 19). The latter includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of national boundaries, orally, in writing or through the press or artistic forms of expression,” the Union states.
“Burdened with guilt for the genocide of the people of Donbass, the Kiev junta began to persecute simply for dissent, realizing the precariousness of its position. The Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine believes that such a flagrant violation of international laws guaranteeing civil and political rights cannot remain unnoticed by the world community. The Kiev authorities must realize that their crimes against democracy and freedom of speech will not go unnoticed and unpunished,” Larisa Shesler, the chairman of the organization, commented to the publication.
According to her, the Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine will take all possible actions to free the Nikolaev activist from the dungeons of the SBU.