We are concerned by the situation of a pregnant Ukrainian woman detained in captivity in the territory of the self-proclaimed entity “Donetsk People’s Republic,” located in eastern Ukraine.
Mariana Mamonova, a military doctor, was made prisoner in early April when she served in Mariupol.
We welcome the efforts of the Ukrainian side aimed at the return of Ukrainian citizens and citizens of foreign countries from captivity, as previously stated in an interview with the American TV channel NBC President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
We are grateful to the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom for its efforts to save the lives of British people detained in the Russian Federation or self-proclaimed entities in eastern Ukraine. What the U.K. Foreign Office informed us about.
Given the politicization of international organizations that do not act according to the Charter’s objectives, we must state this and take the following steps, demonstrating by example the true intentions of humanitarian tasks.
The men and women, both military and civilian, who are held captive cannot be the object of political bargaining, the instrument of manipulation and influence on other states.
We call on mothers and family members of persons in custody on the territory of Russia or in self-proclaimed entities to join the International Civic Initiative “We’ll Bring Them Home Alive.” Prayer, a criticism of the government, is also a way of acting. However, that is not enough. Mothers need to do something, not just criticize authorities and wait. Families must accept some of the responsibility for the future fate of their loved ones in custody.
Foreign officials dealing with the release and return of their nationals to their home countries should fundamentally change their tactics in dealing with this problem and share their responsibility for the results of this work with Family members whose relatives and friends are detained in the territory of the Russian Federation or the territory of self-proclaimed entities and independent human rights defenders.
Foreign policy is increasingly moving from the level of specialized agencies to the level of political leaders and heads of state. Moreover, this dictates its laws because it is no longer professional technocrats but politicians who are responsible to citizens by virtue of their understanding.
Designing a country where society and the state trust each other and can build together in an unfavorable environment is the main project of the coming years for all countries of the world, without exception.
We must not stop until the detainees abroad are in the loving arms of their family and friends, and we will succeed, no matter how difficult this path may seem today.
EN