Translated material
The Memorial recognized the sailors arrested after the conflict in the Kerch Strait as political prisoners and prisoners of war
The Memorial's human rights center recognized the Ukrainian sailors arrested after the conflict in the Kerch Strait by political prisoners. This was reported on the website of the center.
"The legality of the occupation and annexation of the Russian Federation in 2014 of the Crimea Peninsula and the associated claims of Russia to establish the marine border on the 12 -mile zone from the Crimean coast, which Ukrainian military vessels, on November 25, 2018, cannot be recognized. Thus, the accusation of the Ukrainian military in the intersection of this" border "cannot be considered by the Russian Federation," the report said in terms of international law. It also emphasizes that, according to data that both Russia and Ukraine confirm, Ukrainian vessels reported in advance about their intention to cross the “border”.
Human rights activists also accuse the authorities of violation of the UN Convention under the Law of the Russian-Ukrainian Treaty "On Cooperation in the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait", which proclaims the freedom of navigation of warships under the flag of the Russian Federation or Ukraine in these waters.
“Based on these norms, which are an integral part of Russian law, we believe that Ukrainian vessels and under domestic legislation did not make a criminal illegal crossing of the border,” the human rights activists say, expressing consent with experts in international humanitarian law, who consider the Kerch incident an international military conflict, and detained Ukrainian sailors - prisoners of war. They require the termination of their criminal prosecution and release, and before that, their content in accordance with the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
On November 25, the Ukrainian Navy reported that the border ships of the Russian Federation, "Contrary to the UN Convention on the Law and Agreement between the two countries about cooperation in the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait," carried out "aggressive actions" against the ships of the naval forces of Ukraine - two small armored artillery boats and raid tugboats - which performed a planned transition from the port of Osessa to the Port of Obsessa to the port Port Mariupol.
However, according to Russia, three ships of the Ukrainian naval forces illegally crossed the State border of the Russian Federation and entered territorial waters. As a result, Russian border guards detained three ships of the Ukrainian naval forces of Ukraine Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yana Kapu, using weapons. The incident was wounded by the SBU employee Vasily Soroka, as well as members of the crews of Ukrainian ships Andrei Artemenko and Andrei Aider.
All 24 Ukrainian sailors are arrested and are suspected in a criminal case instituted by the FSB under Part 3 of Art. 322 ("illegal intersection of the state border of Russia") of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for six years in prison. In Kyiv, detained sailors are considered prisoners of war.
On March 15, the European Union extended the sanctions against individual citizens of Russia for the next six months in connection with actions that undermine or threaten territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. ”
On the same day, sanctions against the Russian Federation were tightened by the United States, adding six individuals and eight organizations related to Russia. According to the US Treasury, they "took part in the unfounded attacks of Russia on Ukrainian warships in the Kerch Strait, the alleged annexation of Crimea and the support of illegal elections of the separatist government in eastern Ukraine."
On April 3, the US Permanent Representative of NATO Kayly Bay Khatchinson said that in response to the actions of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea it is planned to take a package of measures that include more intense reconnaissance from the air and an increase in the passages of the alliance ships. According to her, this is necessary to guarantee Ukrainian ships a safe passage through the Kerch Strait.