Belarus gives no response over Russia’s kidnapping Ukraine citizen in Homiel - MFA

A Ukrainian consul will see political prisoner Pavlo Hryb in a Russian prison for the first time in a long period of time, Spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Kateryna Zelenko said at Thursday’s briefing.

According to her, Ukraine’s Consulate in Rostov-on-Don got permission from the Russian authorities for visiting Pavel Hryb on March, 4.

When it comes to the Ukrainian-Belarusian relations, the issue of Russia’s FSB abducting Hryb in the territory of Belarus is still on the agenda, the official stressed.

“As of today, despite the fact that we filed notes and repeatedly appealed to Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus, we have not received any formal response,” Zelenko said.

In early February, Ukraine’s human rights envoy Liudmyla Denisova said that Pavlo Hryb was on the verge of life and death.

“The 20-year-old political prisoner needs urgent heart surgery because his state of health is supercritical,” she stressed.

In August 2017, Pavlo Hryb went missing in the Belarusian city of Homiel. He was allegedly kidnapped by the Russian Federal security Service (FSB). As it emerged later, Russia blacklisted him as a ‘terrorist’ for his criticizing the Kremlin’s policy on the Internet. In Homiel he met with the 17-year-old girl from Sochi who later confessed that the FSB exerted pressure on her. Later, Pavlo Hryb was ‘found’ arrested in Russia’s Krasnodar. After a massive public outcry and diplomatic note, the Belarusian State Border Committee admitted the fact of his border crossing on August 24 and said Hryb had not violated anything. According to a Krasnodar court, the arrest warrant was issued on August 17 (i.e., before Pavlo Hryb crossed the Belarus-Ukraine border), when he was put on the international wanted list. According to the Russian side, Hryb asked his acquaintance to go off a bomb at a school assembly in Sochi. Ukraine says that the charge was forged.

КА, belsat.eu