Ukrainian World Congress calls upon international community to defend Roman Sushchenko and all political prisoners detained unlawfully by Russia

This has been stated by UWC President Eugene Czolij, according to UWC press service.

“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon Ukrainian communities around the world, and the entire international community to actively defend the rights of detained journalists Roman Sushchenko and Mykola Semena, and all unlawfully detained Ukrainian political prisoners by the Russian Federation, and pressure Russian authorities for their immediate release,” UWC President Eugene Czolij stated.

Roman Sushchenko and Mykola Semena are victims of the hybrid war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

Roman Sushchenko, a Paris-based correspondent with Ukraine's Ukrinform news agency, was arrested in Moscow on September 30, 2016 on charges of espionage while in the Russian Federation on a personal visit. Following closed proceedings on 1 October 2016 the court ordered his detention for two months. Contrary to international norms and a bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, Roman Sushchenko was being denied the basic right to see a lawyer and a Ukrainian consul.

Mykola Semena, a pro-Ukrainian journalist and contributor to RFE/RL's Crimean news website, Krym.Realii (Crimea Realities), was arrested in April and charged with “separatism” for an article on the de-occupation of Crimea. Court proceedings are scheduled for October in the case of Mykola Semena who has been denied the right to leave the Crimean Peninsula for medical treatment.

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