Kyrylo Budanov met with human rights defenders

On December 16, 2024, the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov held a meeting with representatives of leading Ukrainian human rights organisations in Kyiv. The meeting was devoted to the issues of detention of civilians in Russia and in the occupied territories and their return from Russian captivity.

They discussed the mechanisms for the release of civilian Ukrainians and the cooperation of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with human rights organisations.

“Excessive politicisation and attention have often slowed down or even hindered our work“, Budanov emphasised, “It is worth noting that each case is unique and requires coordinated interaction and information silence”.

The head of Human Rights Centre ZMINA, Tetiana Pechonchyk, who was present at the meeting, raised the issue of the release of seriously ill prisoners of the Kremlin, people with chronic illnesses, disabilities, and elderly people who, under conditions of mistreatment and lack of medical care, may not live to see their release, and mentioned the deaths of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna and the mayor of Dniprorudne, Yevhen Matvieiev, in Russian captivity. She also drew attention to the need to release women. In addition, the human rights defender reminded that more than three dozen journalists and human rights defenders are in Russian captivity.

Representatives of the Coordination Headquarters noted that they are seeking the release of all citizens, including those in a particularly vulnerable position.

The participants demonstrated their openness and readiness for further cooperation and stated that they shared approaches to legal and psychological support for families and prisoners.

Kyrylo Budanov thanked the participants of the meeting for the legal support that their organisations provide in the course of the Coordination Headquarters’ activities: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you, Ukrainian human rights defenders, for your tireless work and efforts in the fight for the freedom of our citizens. Thanks to your integrity and perseverance, together we are bringing closer the day when every Ukrainian will return home from enemy captivity“.

The event was attended by representatives of the NGO Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, All-Ukrainian CO Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation, Human rights organisation the Center for Civil Liberties, Human rights organisation Truth Hounds, IHR NGO Freedom House, NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights, NGO Regional Center for Human Rights, Human Rights Centre ZMINA, NGO Bluebird and NGO Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group.

Photo: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.