The member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have initiated the use of the so-called "Moscow Mechanism" to investigate the detention of Ukrainians by russia. This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on his page in X, UNN reports .
Details
I welcome the involvement of the Moscow Mechanism by the overwhelming majority of OSCE states to address the problem of arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians by russia
According to him, during this war russia has taken thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage in the temporarily occupied territories. And these people "are the most vulnerable group that is not noticed at the international level".
ОБСЄ має стати майданчиком відповідальності рф, а не діалогу з нею - Кулеба23.02.24, 21:04
I expect that the involvement of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism will help us to determine the true extent of this crime and establish the facts. This is the first existing international mechanism to be involved in this matter. Earlier, I called on the OSCE, the UN and other international organizations to use all tools and, if necessary, create new ones to address the issue of Ukrainian civilian hostages and facilitate their release
Addendum
The minister added that he will continue to call on all international organizations, NGOs and the media to pay more attention to Ukrainian civilian hostages held by russia.
We will continue to make every effort to release them all, and I am grateful to our partners for their strong support in this matter. Every russian crime must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice
For reference
The "Moscow Mechanism" is a procedure envisaged by the Moscow Document of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference held in Moscow in 1991.
The mechanism, in particular, allows a group of ten or more OSCE participating states to establish a mission of independent experts to examine a particularly serious threat to the implementation of human rights obligations in one of the participating states.
In coordination with the OSCE's permanent human dimension body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, such a mission should establish the relevant facts, prepare a report, and may also provide recommendations for possible solutions
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ian Borg and urged him to focus the organization's attention on the return of children illegally deported by russia.