Denisova: Exact number of people to be transferred from occupied Donbas still unknown

"The information about the unilateral transfer of illegally imprisoned Ukrainian citizens, who are held in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine is constantly changing... The number of citizens planned to be transferred to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine varies. In addition, the whereabouts of our fellow citizens are unknown at this time,” Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova posted on Facebook.

According to the Commissioner, two routes along which the transfer can take place – through the Mayorske border crossing point and along the Rostov-on-Don-Minsk-Kyiv route – have been confirmed so far.

Denisova added that further information will be updated.

Earlier, the Eastern Human Rights Group reported that two routes for the transfer of these individuals were being considered.

According to human rights activists, "mobile communication between relatives and pardoned persons has been interrupted since yesterday; relatives have been informed that their family members are already pardoned and are at large."

Previously the media reported that a group of captured Ukrainian citizens would be handed over to Ukraine from the occupied Donbas. The release was allegedly agreed upon by a Ukrainian MP without warning the official Ukrainian side.

Commissioner Denisova declared her readiness to facilitate the return of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens to government-controlled territory.

Spokesman for Ukrainian delegation to the TCG, Oleksiy Arestovych, said that the Ukrainian Security Service would inspect the transferred persons.

On January 20, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova stated that the representatives of the occupied Donbas would unilaterally transfer nine people to Ukraine.

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