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What’s in the Everyday Concerns of the Commissioner for Human Rights |
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From the reports of the Commissioner’s Press Service CHORNOBYL CLEANUP OPERATORS SEEK PROTECTION OF THEIR RIGHTS Mrs. Karpachova met with representatives of a detached chemical defense battalion, Civil Defense Corps, who took part in the cleanup operations right after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station. Former battalion commander Colonel Mykola Bosyi and other participants in the meeting told the Commissioner how within two days after the accident a chemical protection battalion was activated out of reservists. From the very first days following the accident at the fourth power plant, they, exposed to high radiation doses, worked jointly with firemen for 16 hours in the contaminated area without any individual protection means and special clothing. Many of the men have not survived to this day. Notwithstanding these trials, the battalion members have not been granted the legal status of Chornobyl cleanup operators; they are made to wait in line for two years to be hospitalized for treatment; nor can they avail themselves of any benefits for buying medicines; and quite a few live in dormitories to this day. After summarizing the results of this meeting, the Commissioner decided to institute an inquiry into this matter. November 12, 1998 200 orphans, Transcarpathian flood victims, In areas of natural calamities, the children of state orphanages are among the least protected population groups. That is exactly why the Commissioner for human rights Nina Karpachova decided to come to the assistance of children from the orphanages in the Berehiv and Mukacheve districts after a flood swept through Transcarpathia. This is not the first time that Mrs.Karpachova takes care of orphans. In her former capacity of Member of Parliament she had always taken to heart the destiny of orphans, trying to protect them legislatively against abuse in the process of adoption. During a meeting with Jozef Dyorke, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine, she proposed to launch an express joint project on targeted assistance to the orphans. Mr. Dyorke supported the initiative and made his agency’s contribution to the funds, which went for ordering from Kyiv’s Garment Factory Yunist a set of nice and warm custom-tailored fur coats for each of the 200 orphans. In addition, toys and sweets were purchased and the best Santa Claus and Snow White were brought all the way from Kyiv for the New Year celebration in Transcarpathia. Mrs. Karpachova, accompanied by Yoko Akasaka, advisor to the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine, personally presented the gifts to every child. It is difficult to describe the joy and the radiance of happiness in the eyes of the children. Nannies, teachers and nurses barely concealed their tears of excitement, seeing how the orphans immediately became lively and happy. The Commissioner also visited the areas that suffered the largest damages from the flood, and had a number of meetings with local residents. While visiting the office of the state oblast administration, Mrs. Karpachova inquired into the mechanism of control over the distribution of humanitarian aid to the flood victims in Transcarpathia. December 28, 1998 The Commissioner demands restoration Mrs. Karpachova addressed an appeal to President Leonid Kuchma to have the rights of children suffering from scoliosis restored following the liquidation of the Yubileyna State Sanatorium-Boarding School. In the appeal she stressed that the boarding school was liquidated in gross violation of the UN Convention On the Rights of the Child, the Ukrainian Constitution, the provisions of operative Ukrainian legislation as well as the requirements of the National Children of Ukraine Program. The construction of the sanatorium-boarding school was carried out according to a special project that made allowance for the sick children lying in bed during classes, instead of sitting at their desks. Throughout the day, a period of rest in a premise for sleeping was foreseen as well as medical treatment sessions and lessons in a swimming pool. After the establishment of the Luhansk Institute of Internal Affairs (Rector Y.Didorenko) under the Ministry of Ministry of Internal Affairs, concerned officials set their minds and actions on gradually liquidating the boarding school for children suffering from scoliosis and setting up on its basis a commercially operating legal lyceum for healthy children. At the time the boarding school was liquidated, the oblast numbered over 4,500 children suffering from scoliosis, 30 percent of them residing in the oblast center of Luhansk. The Commissioner for Human Rights holds that because of the officials’ arbitrariness hospitalization of scoliosis-effected children increased twofold after the closure of the boarding school, while the incidence rate of the disease in Luhansk exceeds by once and a half the average for the oblast. The boarding school was liquidated contrary to the instruction of the President under which it is expressly prohibited to close down or alter the targeted purpose of boarding schools for children. The Ministry of Education was also against changing the designation of this educational institution. Both the Leninskyi district court of Luhansk and the Prosecutor-General’s Office ruled that the order to close down the school had no legal force. Notwithstanding all this, the officials of the Luhansk oblast bodies of authority have not taken any measures to restore the sick children’s rights to education and medical treatment. Therefore, the Commissioner appealed to the President as the guarantor of the Constitution, stressing that the violated rights of the sick children should be restored and this should be done before the start of the new school year. June 4, 1999 Trafficking in people can be checked only through This was the leitmotiv of the organizational meeting of the Coordination Council for Prevention of Trafficking in People, established under the auspices of the Commissioner for Human Rights. Taking part in the meeting was Stephen Cook, head of the representative office of the International Migration Organisation in Ukraine, representatives of various ministries, state institutions and NGOs. In her opening address Mrs. Karpachova stressed that trafficking in “live commodities” has spread all over the world. Trafficking in women has become a criminal business that in reaped profits holds third place after the sale of arms and narcotic drugs. Unfortunately, this business also engulfed Ukraine both a donor and a transit country. More than 100,000 Ukrainian women became victims of shadowy dealers of the sex-industry. They are subjected to ruthless exploitation and humiliation, and sometimes even killed, as was the case in Italy, Turkey, Bosnia, the Czech Republic and some other countries. Ukraine is the third country in Europe, after Belgium and Germany, which legislatively qualified trafficking in people as a serious crime and in its Criminal Code established punitive measures for commission of the crime. Twelve criminal proceedings against trafficking in people have been initiated to date. But existing practice proves that the efforts of law enforcement bodies in combating this type of crime are not enough. It is necessary to radically change the attitude to this problem at the state level as well as at the level of public awareness. The participants in the meeting stressed that the establishment of the National Coordination Council under the Commissioner will help unite the efforts of state institutions and NGOs in combating the crime, establish a single database on problems of trafficking in people, conduct constant monitoring of this issue, exercise control over operative Ukrainian legislation and international treaties, and address the most burning aspects of this issue in special reports of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. V. Melnikov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, stressed that thanks to the amendment introduced to the Criminal Code by Mrs. Karpachova, it is now possible to prevent trafficking in people more effectively. Today, when the first attempt at an informal unification of efforts of all concerned structures has been made, there is real hope that the situation will change for the better. June 15, 1999 Excerpts from a letter by Helle Degn, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, “The OSCE holds Ukraine in its highest consideration regarding its leading role in taking steps to combat the trafficking of human beings. It is widely acknowledged that Ukraine’s adoption of criminal legislation on the issue, as embodied in Article 124 (1), Article 7 and Article 26 of the present Criminal Code, as well as the establishment of a National Council to Prevent Trafficking of the Human Person under the authority of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, are two very positive developments that have positioned Ukraine as a leading country on the matter. “It has recently come to our attention that the Verkhovna Rada is preparing to adopt a new Criminal Code, which due to tight deadlines may not include the above-mentioned existing provisions to combat trafficking. May we suggest that it would be a most regretful step-back for Ukraine if such a development did occur. We therefore strongly recommend and support the inclusion of the said provisions, which the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights so carefully prepared into the new Criminal Code”. October 22, 1999 Commissioner’s office sets up hotline for prompt response to violations In response to numerous appeals by individual citizens and human rights organizations requesting protection of their electoral rights during the presidential elections, Mrs. Karpachova, Commissioner for human rights set up a hotline at her office. In case of violations of the citizens’ right to free elections, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Ukrainian Constitution and the Law On Elections of the President of Ukraine, citizens could appeal to the Commissioner by using the most convenient means of communication: Tel: (044) 293-32-73 Tel/Fax: 226-24-19 e-mail: Ombudsman@ rada.kiev.ua During the operation of the hot line, the Commissioner’s Office received more than 300 verbal appeals, telegrams, letters and fax messages from voters, Members of Parliament, representatives of electoral headquarters and proxies of presidential candidates, civic associations and observers. October 31, 1999 Prime Minister takes stock of human rights compliance At a working meeting Commissioner for Human Rights Nina Karpachova and Prime Minister Victor Yushchenko discussed the issues of exercising human rights and freedoms in Ukraine as well as prospects of cooperation between the Commissioner’s Office and bodies of the executive. Mrs.Karpachova informed the Prime Minister that she would shortly present to Parliament her first report “On the Situation of Compliance with and Protection of Human Rights in Ukraine.” The Prime Minister supported the Commissioner’s proposal to unite efforts in protecting human rights and freedoms in the country. Mr.Yushchenko stressed the importance of the Commissioner’s Office both in protecting human rights and in projecting the international image of Ukraine. As both officials stated, the protection of human rights and freedoms should become a top priority of state policy in Ukraine. December 29, 1999 Alarm spreads in the global community. The fight against transnational slavery goes on As trafficking in “live commodities” gains in dimension and brutality, it is turning into a transnational crime that is reaping profits second only to contraband in arms and narcotic drugs. According to UN data, more than 4 million women are trafficked every year across borders worldwide to be sold into slavery. About the same number of children and men are taken across borders for the same purpose. Criminal syndicates derive from slavery over US $7 billion in annual profit. Behind each dollar thus earned there is a ruined life. Ukraine has also been drawn into these processes both as a donor and a transit country. Out of 400,000 women, who left Ukraine to work in the so-called civilized countries, over 100,000 became victims of slavery and the sex-industry. Therefore, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights has made this problem a top priority area of her office’s activity. A National Coordination Council for the Prevention of Trafficking in People under the Commissioner was established, with representatives of ministries, agencies, international organizations and NGOs taking part in its activity. The first organizational meeting of the Coordination Council was held in June 1999. It adopted a regulation on the Council and drew up an elaborate plan of action. In pursuance of this plan a joint meeting with the Committee for Corruption and Organized Crime Control under the President was held and a special program on prevention of trafficking in women and children was designed jointly with the Cabinet of Ministers. The Commissioner has been regularly conducting awareness campaigns in Ukraine’s mass media in order to inform the public on the potential dangers of trafficking in people. She also initiated bilateral cooperation with respective state authorities of Turkey and Belgium, providing help and specific assistance to Ukrainian citizens who became victims of illegal dealers. Besides, members of the Council took part in a number of national and international conferences. The experience of Ukraine’s cooperation with the US and the EU countries is acknowledged throughout the world, while the Law Mrs. Karpachova drafted to establish criminal liability for trafficking in people has been taken as a basis for drafting the European Convention for the Prevention of Trafficking in Women. Representatives of international organizations take part in the activity of the National Coordination Council. The OSCE and IMO focus special attention on the work of the Council. In particular, a meeting of the Council held on February 26, 2000 was attended by Peter Burhard, OSCE representative office coordinator, and John Stephen Cook, head of IMO office in Ukraine, who informed the Council about the prospects of implementing a Technical Assistance Project in Support of the National Coordination Council for Prevention of Trafficking in People. The conclusions of the meeting will be used in a proposal to Parliament on adding to the Criminal Code a provision (in a new wording) that would establish criminal liability for trafficking in people, and the Commissioner will appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers to have Parliament ratify an international Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. A decision was also adopted to set up a working group to prepare the Commissioner’s special report devoted to the problem of trafficking in people. January 26, 2000 Saved from slavery Sold into slavery three times abroad, a group of Ukrainian women managed to come back to their homes at last. They thanked the Commissioner for her intercession that saved their lives and made the reunion with their four children possible. The prevailing socioeconomic crisis, unemployment and poverty have forced hundreds of thousand of our citizens to seek the extensively advertised opportunity of employment abroad. People leave the country both legally and illegally, using official and unofficial employment companies. But in either case they often become victims of slave traders and experience horrible abuse and acute suffering. Two women from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea – Natalia K. and Olena P., the mothers of two under-age children each – decided to go to Bulgaria in order to earn some money for their families, leaving the children with their grandmothers. But once in Bulgaria, they became victims of experienced souteneurs who exploited them ruthlessly and then sold them three times to nightclubs in other countries. The mothers of Natalia Kand Olena P. sent a telegram to the Commissioner, pleading desperately for help. Mrs. Karpachova immediately contacted the Ukrainian office of Interpol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainian Consulate in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, and used other channels for solving this problem. Finally, she received another telegram from the mothers of the victims: “Thank you very much for the assistance, for the rescue, for the reunion of mothers with their families...” Since the beginning of this year this was not the first victory of the Commissioner, who also chairs the National Coordination Council for the Prevention of Trafficking in People and stands up for the rights of our citizens who fall into the hands of slave traders. Thanks to her intervention, seven victimized women from Luhansk oblast managed to come back home. Mrs. Karpachova highly appreciates the cooperation of the National Coordination Council members – representatives of the Consular division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian office of Interpol, the International Migration Organization, the OSCE office in Ukraine, and the La Strada-Ukraine NGO for trafficking in people can be checked only through combined efforts. March 16, 2000 The Commissioner takes care of the Kriviy Rih tragedy victims It is difficult to say whether we will ever learn about the real motives behind the hideous crime in Kriviy Rih on October 2, 1999, when two grenades were thrown into a crowd of people during a meeting with presidential candidate Natalia Vitrenko. But one can definitely argue that law enforcement bodies did not take proper measures to prevent that crime from happening. As a result, over 40 people suffered. At least seven of them were heavily injured and will require costly medical treatment and proper health care for quite some time. This issue was raised in an appeal addressed to Prime Minister Victor Yushchenko by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. The Commissioner holds that the tragedy occurred primarily through the fault of law enforcement bodies who failed to comply with the requirements of the Article 3 of the Ukrainian Constitution, under which the individual, his honor and dignity, safety and inviolability are recognized by the state as the highest social value. In pursuance of parliamentary control over compliance with constitutional rights, the Commissioner instituted an inquiry into this case. It was established that the victims who were hospitalized over a long period of time received financial compensation from the city authorities of Kriviy Rih. However, the amount of the compensation is not enough to ensure in full measure the right to protection and recovery of health, as guaranteed by Article 46 of the Ukrainian Constitution. Following from the provisions of Item 11, Article 13 of the Law On the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Karpachova advised the government to ensure proper assistance to the injured and grant a life-long pension to A.Kushnikova who was disabled because of the received injuries. June 8, 2000 Traffic police inspectors gain protection against the arbitrariness of officials It took Lieutenant Yuriy Lialin, state traffic police inspector with the State Traffic Inspectorate (STI) of the Nyzhniohirske Raion Department of Internal Affairs, Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and Afghanistan war veteran, more than a year and a half of suffering and humiliation of his personal and professional dignity until in his search of justice he addressed the Commissioner for Human Rights. A diligent inspector, who did not have a single reprimand for years, he was suddenly deprived of a job and livelihood, notwithstanding the fact that he is a father of two children, one of which needs permanent medical care. His trouble began after he stopped a private car for inspection. The driver, who was definitely drunk, did not react to the request to stop and attempted to get away. When Lialin and his partner Strelnikov finally caught up with the offender, the latter refused to present any documents, instead threatening the police officers with administrative punishment from district officials, who, as he claimed, were his good friends. For all the threats, the police officers brought the driver to a district police department and drew up a charge sheet. Several days later, the driver filed a complaint with the district prosecutor’s office, accusing the inspectors of exceeding their powers. That was enough for firing the two inspectors, even without waiting for the final decision of the district prosecutor. Lialin was fired for “violating labor discipline”, while Strelnikov for “discrediting the rank of police officer”. Although shortly after the prosecutor’s office closed the case due to the absence of corpus delicti, the two inspectors, who committed no offense whatsoever, were not restored in their rights. Their appeals to the Nyzhniohirske district court were of no avail – the “independent” judges were delaying the consideration of Lialin’s troublesome lawsuit against the district bureaucrats. It looked like that the driver was really on good terms with the local officials. When the former STI inspector lost almost all hope of achieving justice, he appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights – and the situation changed radically: Mrs.Karpachov instituted her own inquiry into case. A court in Crimea reconsidered the lawsuit of the disgraced lieutenant, all accusations against him were lifted, and he was restored in his job, although the pay for his forced leave has not be reimbursed to this day. Currently, Yuri Lialin works as a precinct inspector with the department of internal affairs in his district, carefully watching that justice and the rule of law prevail in his precinct. That’s what he wrote in a letter to the Commissioner, expressing his great thanks to Mrs.Karpachova for her assistance. It is to be hoped that among the offenders within the boundaries of the precinct under Yuriy Lialin’s supervision none of the “untouchables” will ever appear again. June 15, 2000 How the Commissioner prevented a real estate fraud Lately there have been a lot of cases when impostors, using the legal incompetence and helplessness of elderly people, rob them of their real estate. The swindlers have become so sophisticated that quite often they even manage to win lawsuits against them. And that’s what happened to Antonina H., a resident of Uzhgorod. In an attempt to secure her lonely old age somehow, she believed in the “sincere” promises of Yvhenia Sh. and signed an agreement on guardianship with her. Under the agreement the latter was to settle in the apartment of the elderly woman and take care of her. Ms.Antonina H. cannot understand to this day how the agreement on guardianship was transformed into an agreement on donation of her apartment to Yevheniya Sh. Once the deal was formalized, the only thing the “benefactor” thought about was how to evict the helpless old woman from the “donated” apartment. Court hearings were appointed and delayed, but everybody was telling her that there were almost no chances of winning the case, because the “the guardian” had drawn up the donation documents impeccably. But the world is not without good people. Somebody advised her that she address the Commissioner for Human Rights. The old woman heeded the advice. Shortly after, Mrs.Karpachova instituted an inquiry into the case, and the misfortune, which was hovering over lonely old age, retreated. On the instruction of the Transcarpatian oblast prosecutor’s office, the prosecutor of Uzhgorod reexamined all the facts of Antonia H.’s appeal. At the very first hearing of the Uzhgorod city court, the ruling was in favor of the deceived repliant. Subsequently, the collegium on civil cases of the oblast court dismissed the complaint of Yevhenia Sh., retaining without changes the ruling of the court of the first instance. Thus, the right of Antonina H. to ownership in her apartment was restored. Mrs.Karpachova, who constantly watched over the entire course of this case, pointed out that deception of the elderly, lonely and helpless can be prevented through the combined efforts of the executive and the judiciary, provided the protection of human rights is always kept in sight. The Uzhgorod case is a wonderful example in point. Only in such a way is it possible to make people entertain hope in the rule of justice in our country. July 24, 2000 Chornobyl cleanup operators have their rights restored “All my dears, you helped me a lot. I had my status of cleanup operator restored, for which I am extremely grateful to you. But before that I was not receiving a single kopeck throughout a whole year. What did the local officials punish me for? Just for saving them during those tragic days?” This is the message from a letter to the Commissioner for Human Rights by M. Melnychuk of Molodohvardisk, Mykolaiv oblast, who was deprived of his status of Chornobyl cleanup operator. Such letters addressed to the Commissioner are galore. What had initially been a noble idea of identifying the real Chornobyl cleanup operators among the fictitious “participants” in the operation turned into yet another bureaucratic campaign launched by the principle of personal preferences. As a result, quite a few real cleanup operators were deprived of their “Chornobyl” status in violation of their rights to respective benefits. Mrs. Karpachova holds that “when such decisions are made, not always consideration is given to the fact that a person is not simply deprived of a certain social status, but subjected to a psychological injury, placing him unfairly on the same footing as those who fraudulently gained a certificate entitling them to the benefits. How can he look into the eyes of his children, relatives and friends after that? So first of all it’s a moral and psychological problem, and only after it becomes a socioeconomic problem. We should always keep that in mind lest we violate the constitutional right of a person to his respect honor and dignity.” In order to restore the violated rights of Ivan Supruniuk (Rivne oblast), Olexiy Tsygytsia (Kirovograd oblast), Vira Lys (Lviv), Volodymyr Koidan (Kyiv), Anatoliy Burovytskyi (Mykolaiv oblast) and of many other applicants, the Commissioner instituted an inquiry and sought assistance from the Ministry of Emergencies and other institutions. She did not force the issue, but simply demanded to have the complaints examined without any bias. Mrs.Karpachova highly appreciated the professional and moral qualities of the Ministry of Emergencies’ employees, who looked into each individual case with a lot of attention. Even if not all the cases were solved positively, the examination was conducted sensitively, humanely and without prejudice. The rights of many applicants were restored, but a lot of questions remain open. The main one is why was the attitude to the Chornobyl cleanup operators so formalistic at the local level? Why does a modest benefit blind the official to such an extent that he fails to see a human being behind the benefit? July 25, 2000 Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Nina Karpachova, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, met with Stephen Pifer, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, at his request. During this, their first meeting, topical issues of human rights of mutual interest were discussed and an agreement with the US Embassy was reached on expanding cooperation in this area by establishing direct contact with respective US human rights institutions. The US Ambassador expressed deep interest in the status of the new constitutional body and its relations with other branches of authority. He highly appreciated Mrs.Krpachova’s personal contribution to the development of bilateral US-Ukraine cooperation and to the elaboration of a legislative framework for protecting human rights in Ukraine in her former capacity of Member of Parliament of the thirteenth convocation. In the ambassador’s opinion, the Commissioner’s Office is an extraordinarily important institution for protecting human rights and freedoms. At the end of the meeting, the Commissioner asked the US Ambassador to assist in releasing four Ukrainian seamen, who have been held hostage in Nigeria for quite a long time. September 9, 1998, From the reports of the Commissioner’s Press Service Letter of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights ... First of all I would like to express my deep respect and gratitude for your personal support as well as for the active involvement of the Russian Embassy in Nigeria in the release of the Ukrainian seamen of the MS Dubai Valor, who were held hostage since 1997. Through the initiative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, cooperating jointly with the ministries of foreign affairs of Ukraine and Russia, twenty-three of the twenty-seven hostages were released. I would also like to inform you, Mr. President, that the diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Nigeria, in cooperation with their Ukrainian counterparts, not only took part in this action of goodwill, but under the complex circumstances in that country they also displayed courage and nobleness in the spirit of friendship between Slavic peoples. This was the first joint action of such a nature by diplomats of our countries in recent years. The issue of protecting human rights and freedoms transcends the bounds of narrowly national interests. The life of every human being is invaluable, and therefore, Mr.President, I hope that you will also assist in the further joint actions to release the rest of the Ukrainian seamen who are still held hostage in Nigeria ... September 17, 1998 Nina Karpachova Flowers for the ombudsman Happy and buoyant for joy, each with a huge bouquet of flower, the women seemed not to have entered but winged their way into the Commissioner’s office, filling it with a merry babble of excited voices. Interrupting one another, they shared their joy with the host and thanked for her assistance. Mrs. Karpachova stood there somewhat embarrassed. She realized pretty well that this moment marked at long last the end of their suffering and her concern to make come true the release of the Ukrainian crew of the MS Dubai Valor, who had been held hostage by the Lone Star Shipping Company of Nigeria. In tears, alarmed, exhausted, they had been visiting her office dozens of times. They came to her as to the last resort of hope to save their husbands who had been repeatedly threatened that they would not get out of Nigeria alive. Although many institutions were involved in the release of the Ukrainian seamen – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomats, government and state officials, the department of river and sea transport, the women kept coming to the Commissioner and asking for help. The consideration of collective complaints is not in the competence of the Commissioner, but Mrs.Karpachova could not but take to heart the destiny of our citizens, who for the second year were forced to stay on the ship in an unbearable tropical heat and suffered from torture. She instituted an inquiry into this matter, actively seeking domestic and international channels to resolve the problem. Prodding for information from the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine time and again, she established two-way radio and fax communication between her office and the Ukrainian crew, telephone communication with the crew’s relatives and the Ukrainian ambassador to Egypt, and even addressed the chairman of the 52nd session of the UN General Assembly for assistance. Due to the joint efforts of Ukrainian and Russian diplomats, 23 seamen were released. However, Nigeria refused to release the merchant captain and his three mates, constantly threatening to kill them. They had to live through the nightmare of imprisonment for nine long months. And finally, the victorious outcome, followed by flowers and the happy smiles of the wives of merchant captain A.Shulgin, first mate A.Tyrkin, senior radio officer V.Tymchenko and chief engineer V.Nefiodov. It is hard to overestimate the importance of this victory. Very often we ask ourselves why in the US the President, the Senate, the mass media and the public at large raise such a big hue and cry, threatening with economic sanctions and even the use of force, whenever a US citizen is detained in some country. But when dozens of our ships are seized, their crews manhandled, and the ships sold by auction, nobody seems to care. “The state should not be shy or indecisive, when it comes to protecting the rights and freedoms of its citizens abroad”, Mrs. Karpachova said. “In the modern world, he is respected who respects himself.” June 11, 1999 Demokratychna Ukraina (Democratic Ukraine) newspaper |
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