During the return of 10 citizens of Ukraine from russian captivity, which became known on June 28, the Vatican participated for the first time, which usually provided assistance only in the case of children. At the same time, the aggressor state of russia is illegally detaining more than 14,000 citizens of Ukraine, while the work of returning Ukrainian civilians is the most difficult.
This was reported by Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on the sidelines of the Prayer Breakfast under the patronage of the President, held in Kyiv on June 29.
Thus, commenting on the return from russian captivity of 10 citizens of Ukraine, in particular the deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelial, priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi, Lubinets noted that the most difficult is the work of returning civilians.
"Returning three categories of Ukrainian citizens - children, prisoners of war, civilians - it is the most difficult work for civilians," he said.
In particular, the commissioner emphasized that in the case of civilians, it is not about exchange, as in the case of prisoners of war, but rather about return.
"We cannot change them, we do not have any additional influence on the russian federation directly. We do not even have a legal basis on the basis of which we can conduct this process," he explained.
Lubinets also reminded that Ukraine is making every effort to return almost 20,000 children and "tens of thousands" of people who are considered missing.
In addition, he emphasized that this was the first time that the Vatican, which previously provided assistance only in the case of children, took part in the return of Ukrainians home.
"Until now, they (the Vatican) have helped us with the return of Ukrainian children. We are in direct communication with them. I hope that this very return will become a new point... Perhaps a new channel of both communications and the return of Ukrainian civilians has finally opened," said the human rights commissioner.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, 10 civilians who were illegally detained in the occupied territories, as well as in Belarus, were returned to Ukraine in the 53rd exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and the russian federation since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the occupiers.
This exchange took place through the mediation of the United Arab Emirates and the Holy See in the Vatican.
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