EU diplomats: Ukraine citizen was illegally abducted in Belarus, delivered to Russia

The EU Delegation to Ukraine expects that Ukrainian Pavlo Hryb and other Ukrainian citizens illegally detained and convicted in Russia will be immediately released.

“The EU Delegation to Ukraine met with Ihor Hryb, the father of Pavlo Hryb, abducted in Homiel, Belarus, on August 24. Pavlo Hryb is now in the pretrial detention center in Krasnodar, the Russian Federation. There is still no clear verdict of guilty against him delivered by the Russian authorities, except for general charges of committing a terrorist act,” the statement reads.

As noted, Pavlo Hryb’s unreasonable detention poses a serious threat to his health, since he needs special medical treatment that he has not yet been provided with.

“His case is another example of gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms that the Russian government is carrying out against the citizens of Ukraine. An illegal abduction of a person in the territory of a third country was also revealed in the case of Pavlo Hryb. We expect that Pavlo Hryb and all other Ukrainian citizens, illegally detained and / or convicted, will be immediately released,” the EU Delegation to Ukraine reads.

In late August, the 19-year-old resident of Ukraine went missing in the Belarusian city of Homiel. As it emerged later, Russia blacklisted him as a ‘terrorist’ for his criticizing the Kremlin’s policy on the Internet. In Homiel he met with the 17-year-old girl from Sochi who later confessed that the FSB exerted pressure on her. Later, Pavlo Hryb was ‘found’ arrested in Russia’s Krasnodar.

After a massive public outcry and diplomatic note, the Belarusian State Border Committee admitted the fact of his border crossing on August 24 and said Pavlo Hryb had not violated anything.

According to a Krasnodar court, the arrest warrant was issued on August 17 (i.e., before Pavel Hryb crossed the Belarus-Ukraine border), when he was put on the international wanted list.

After the disappearance of the young man, Ukrainian politicians question the security of its own nationals in the territory of Belarus. According to Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Zerkal, in words Belarus behaves as a partner, but in deeds it acts quite differently.

belsat.eu, following Ukrinform