Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga has expressed concern over reports that Vadym Holda, an OSCE staff member illegally detained by Russia, may have been transferred to Siberia.
This was reported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vadym Holda is one of three OSCE employees detained by the Russian side. He has been held in isolation without contact with the outside world since 15 October.
Sybiga described these actions as yet another flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions by the Russian Federation. He stressed that Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories have no fundamental rights and are entirely dependent on the will of the occupying authorities.
The foreign minister is demanding that Russia provide reliable information on the whereabouts and conditions of detention of all three detained OSCE staff members, and ensure immediate and unhindered access to them.
The minister also urged the OSCE community to increase pressure on Russia to secure the swift release of Dmytro Shabanov, Maksym Petrov and Vadym Holda.