Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia set to be focus of autumn PACE session

Finding sutions for the prompt release of all Ukrainians in captivity, as well as a resution marking the 90th anniversary of the Hodomor, are among the issues on the Ukrainian agenda for the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Eure (PACE), which begins on Monday in Strasbourg.

As reported by an Ukrinform correspondent, the Ukrainian delegation is also organizing an event during the session on the tic of "Torture and deaths of Ukrainian military prisoners and unlawfully detained civilians in Russian captivity." This event will feature testimonies from former prisoners, including Nariman Dzhelal, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar pele, and Mykyta Shastun, a Ukrainian defender who survived the tragedy in enivka.

On Tuesday, the first thematic meeting of the Network for the Assistance of Ukrainian Children will take place. This will also be the first session for the Secretary General of the Council of Eure, Alain Berset, who is scheduled to speak before the Assembly participants.

Read also: Supporting Ukraine to be CoE’s t priority – new Secretary General

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, will present his address as the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Eure.

Debates will be held, and a resution will be adted on the tic of praganda and freedom of information in Eure, along with the ceremony for the Václav Havel 2024 Prize, which honors outstanding human rights defenders from around the world. The ceremony will feature a speech by the 2022 prize laureate, Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was recently released from a Russian prison.

It is noteworthy that a resution regarding the release of Ukrainian military prisoners has been registered in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Eure, and a document concerning civilian hostages is also being prepared.

This was announced by Maria Mezentseva-Fedorenko, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration with the EU and Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to PACE.