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Moscow sends diplomatic notes to UN, ICRC over Ukraine’s holding of Russian seamen

We continue to draw the attention of international organizations to the inadmissibility of the forcible detention by the Ukrainian authorities of 67 Russian sailors from civilian ships in the port of Izmail, Permanent Representative of the RF to the UN Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said

GENEVA, August 9. /TASS/. Russia sent diplomatic notes to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer over the detention by Ukraine of 67 Russian seamen, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said on Tuesday.

"We continue to draw the attention of international organizations to the inadmissibility of the forcible detention by the Ukrainian authorities of 67 Russian sailors from civilian ships in the port of Izmail," the diplomat said. "We sent the relevant diplomatic notes to Michelle Bachelet and Peter Maurer."

Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights commissioner, said in May that Izmail's shipyards had been holding Russian civilian seamen since February, preventing them from leaving ships. The commissioner said on Telegram on July 30 that seven women from the crews had returned to Russia. Another 67 Russian seamen remain in Ukraine.

The crews have food and water and essential goods but they are banned from leaving the vessels, Moskalkova said, citing the ships’ captains.

The commissioner said that being in a confined space for a long time has an extremely bad effect on the moral and psychological state of the people, literally driving them insane. In addition, three people fell seriously ill.

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