Vienna, Jul 31 (AP) Late one night, Dmytro Shabanov, a security assistant in eastern Ukraine working for the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), was taken from his home.
This happened in the Luhansk region in April 2022, just weeks following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
His detention was part of a deliberate operation executed by pro-Russian forces, which also saw the capture of two other OSCE Ukrainian workers.
Maksym Petrov, an interpreter, was seized in the same region, while Vadym Golda, another security assistant, was detained in neighboring Donetsk.
More than three years on, these three Ukrainian civilians involved in international ceasefire monitoring endeavors remain imprisoned and have not been included in any recent prisoner exchanges with Russia.
Their ongoing detention has caused significant concern among OSCE officials, Western nations, and human rights advocates who are calling for their urgent release amidst anxiety over their health and prison conditions amid allegations of torture.
Requests for comments from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian mission to the OSCE regarding these allegations and the notion of immunity due to the personnel's international civil servant status remain unanswered.
Rapidly unfolded events in 2022:
Margaryta Shabanova, Dmytro's wife residing in Kyiv, recounted the harrowing night her husband was taken away post-curfew.
Her last contact with him happened approximately 20 minutes prior to his arrest.
Following his seizure, Dmytro was held incommunicado for three months, subjected to interrogations in a Luhansk prison until coerced into signing a confession.
Margaryta’s daily life has since been overshadowed with uncertainty and hope that gradually slips into desolation.
Shabanova shares the personal toll of her husband’s absence during family gatherings and festivities.
Despite attempts to appear strong, the emotional burden is concealed behind closed doors.
Dmytro cherished his work with the OSCE, an organization that monitors ceasefires, promotes democracy, and engages in arms control and election observations.
He believed international service could potentially make the world more equitable and safer. Before the invasion, the OSCE had been monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
The mission's goal was to observe truce violations and broker local ceasefires to enable emergency repairs to infrastructure in war-affected areas.
However, on March 31, 2022, Russia blocked the extension of the OSCE mission, resulting in the dismissing of the mission by separatist leaders as illegal the following month.
It remains unknown if the detained OSCE staff attempted to leave eastern Ukraine. Shabanov, Petrov, and Golda were involved in shutting down the OSCE mission, ensuring secure office closures, safeguarding assets, and facilitating international staff evacuations. Their mission ceased by October 2022.
Convictions and prison sentences:
Though possessing documents guaranteeing their immunity, Shabanov, Petrov, and Golda were arrested.
Shabanov and Petrov were charged with treason by a Russian-controlled court in Luhansk in September 2022 and faced 13-year prison sentences.
Golda, 57, was accused of espionage by a Donetsk court under Moscow's control in July 2024 and received a 14-year sentenced.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, in November 2022, argued that the monitors' activities were biased and illegal.
Without naming names, the ministry suggested Western recruitment of local residents for gathering information for the Ukrainian military, with “several” detentions happening.
The OSCE has condemned these sentences, demanding the men's immediate release, asserting they were executing official roles as outlined by its 57 member states, including Russia.
In March, the OSCE compelled Russia to note that Shabanov was transferred to a high-security penal colony in Russia's Siberian Omsk region, while Petrov remains at the risk of transfer.
Penal colonies in Siberia are notorious for their harsh conditions, where prisoners often “disappear” in Russia's vast secretive penal landscape.
Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group warns that inadequate healthcare in such remote areas poses potential fatal risks for detainees already facing health concerns.
Allegations of beatings, psychological pressure:
The allegations of torture arose when Ukrainian human rights activist Maksym Butkevych, previously detained with Shabanov and Petrov, revealed both endured severe mistreatment during interrogations.
Butkevych recalls Dmytro suffering from brutal beatings, leading to unconsciousness, and substantial psychological duress.
Shabanov encounters issues with his back and legs, finding daily relief lying down for hours due to the pain.
Petrov experiences significant health crises, with interrogation-related allergies exacerbating his condition.
Legal representation for the men claims coercive interrogations led to signings of confessions under duress. These torture allegations remain unverified.
Bargaining chips for Russia?
Butkevych surmises the OSCE employees, not being war prisoners, serve as leverage for Moscow, whether to exchange them for “someone or something critically important” to Russia.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, current OSCE chairperson, expressed severe disapproval of incarcerating civilian officials from world organizations.
Valtonen emphasized Finnish focus on hastening their release.
OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu has reportedly engaged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on this matter during a March visit to Moscow.
Yurii Vitrenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador in Vienna, urged unconditional release of the men, condemning their unjust detention, fraudulent trial, and illegally imposed sentences.
Vitrenko suggested influential nations should leverage more pressure on Russia for the release, though he refrained from disclosing specific countries.
In a plea to power bearers, Margaryta regularly asks them to take decisive action, urging the OSCE and international community to reflect on their efforts' ineffectiveness in freeing her husband.
“Do not avert your gaze,” she declares.
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