Relatives of the dead and wounded named three demands for peace

Relatives of those killed and wounded as a result of the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka named three demands with which they appeal to the Ukrainian and international community.

The representative of the NGO “Community of Olenivka Families” Maria Alekseevich told “UP. Life” what kind of help she needs from the international community, ICRC, as well as Ukrainian diplomats and authorities.

“Since the day of the terrorist attack in Olenivka, we have three problems that have not yet been resolved. Namely: the return of all defenders injured as a result of the terrorist attack in Olenivka, a dignified tribute to the slain heroes and an international investigation of the terrorist attack.

We have to return home the people who survived, because the Russians planned to kill them, they are victims of a Russian war crime, and there is still no understanding of what logic was used to form the lists by which our relatives were transferred to a separate barrack, which became the place of death for more than 50 people.”– says Maria.

According to her, the work of international organizations is still at the same level as before.

“Of course, we understand that we have to constantly remind them of their direct responsibilities, we have to ask them to do more. But any words and actions have not brought any results yet.” – says Alekseevich.

The community of families still does not know where the defenders injured as a result of the terrorist attack are being held. It is not even known the exact number of people who survived the terrorist attack and what injuries they received. Maria says it is about 120 people.

“The only thing that can be said for sure is about the people who were published by the Ministry of Defense of Russia as seriously wounded on July 30, 2022. From this list, in captivity 59 people, including my husband.

I am still contacting the ICRC with requests to establish information about my husbandbecause he was officially confirmed as a prisoner of war by the aggressor country with the assistance of the ICRC, but I have not received answers from them for more than half a year.– says Maria.

The activist also believes that Ukrainian embassies should work more actively on promoting the topic of the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka.

“We appealed to the ambassadors of Ukraine in various countries with such a request more than two months ago, but we still haven’t received any response from most of them. Some of them answered us: “apply to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and to the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights.” , despite the fact that the requests were directed specifically to the ambassadors regarding their work.

And the actions that we organized with the help of Ukrainian diasporas are our work with them, without the help of state bodies, although this should not be the case during a full-scale war.” – says Maria.

In addition, the “Community of Olenivka Families” told how cooperation with international organizations is carried out. At the end of February, with the assistance of Media initiative for human rights there was a trip to the OSCE dedicated to the terrorist attack in Olenivka.

Maria, together with a freed Azov citizen who survived a terrorist attack, as well as representatives of the MIPL, met with representatives of the OSCE delegations.

In particular, they asked for control over places of detention, monitoring of compliance with the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and assistance in the release of relatives from captivity.

“Whether this trip will bring any results is still difficult to say. But in any case, we must constantly remind international organizations that Russia is constantly committing war crimes, and that the world’s reaction should be strong, and not the way it is now.

We want to emphasize that we need the support of the state bodies of Ukraine in order for the whole world to know about these topics. We need support abroad both to bring back the people who are still being held captive and to have an international investigation into the terrorist attack. After all, publicity really works and can help”– emphasizes Maria.

Now, together with other activists of the organization, Maria wants to go to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and is asking for support from the Ukrainian authorities.

“On January 9, 2024, we had a meeting with the state bodies of Ukraine, with the head of the OP Andriy Yermak and the head of the GUR Kyryll Budanov. At this meeting, we talked about three problems that have not yet been resolved and asked for their support.

We emphasized that in order to release from captivity those wounded during the terrorist attack in Olenivka, we should ask for help from countries that have already been actively engaged in the exchange of prisoners of war, namely Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.”– says Maria.

According to Maria, she was assured that work in this direction is underway, and that her community will be involved in international trips.

But so far, there was only one trip abroad with the support of the state – at the end of September 2023, representatives of the “Community” traveled to Geneva and communicated with representatives of the UN and the ICRC.

“We need influential countries and we need the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and OPso that we can get to meetings with influential people from these countries in order to achieve our goal”– emphasizes Maria.

“Community” also asks to initiate Days of mourning and commemoration of the victims of the terrorist attack.

Ukrainians have already signed petition about the creation of such a day – she collected the necessary 25 thousand signatures for consideration.

“In 4 months, it will be two years since the terrorist attack in Olenivka, but at the state level, the Day of Remembrance for the executed heroes has not yet been started. There is still no answer to the petition that I registered in July last year and which received more than 25,000 votes.

We asked the deputies to register the draft law on Memorial Day, one of them did it a few months ago, but the draft resolution is still under consideration. It must go through various committees of the VRU for approval”– says Maria.

In the end, the organization asks for the support of all Ukrainians – in particular, in spreading information about the terrorist attack and publicizing the demands of the “Community”.

“Anyone can join this assistance at will. For example, if there are people who know how to draw, write poems or texts in general, write music, if there are any creative ideas, how to depict mass execution in captivity and remind about prisoners in any way, we are always open to dialogue and new collaborations.

We need the constant support of the mass media, so that the topic of murders and torture in captivity is constantly in the information space.”– adds Maria.

We will remind on the night of July 28-29, 2022, the Russians killed at least 53 defenders of Mariupol, blowing up a barrack in Olenivka, where 193 Azov prisoners of war were transferred the day before. For almost 2 years, the ICRC and other foreign human rights defenders were not allowed to visit the wounded fighters, as well as to the places of detention of the Mariupol defenders.

During the last month, Ukrainians abroad held actions designed to remind foreigners about the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka.

Actions organized by the “Community of Deer Families” took place in 11 countries, including France, England, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, USA, Poland, Australia, Canada, Ireland.

According to Maria Alekseevich, in total, it was possible to hold about 20 actions, each of which was attended by about a hundred people.