In connection with cases of abductions and executions by Russian invaders of Ukrainian activists, human rights activists, volunteers, journalists and employees of local authorities, representatives of Ukrainian public organizations appealed to the international community to protect citizens. It is reported by the ZMINA Human Rights Center.

In particular, human rights activists draw attention to the need for assistance to residents of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Kiev, Luhansk and Kherson regions, whose territories were partially occupied by Russian military.

“In these territories, the occupying forces seek to establish control, therefore, they carry out acts of intimidation of the local population. Over the past week, we have been recording the facts of “arrests”, but in fact, abductions of Ukrainian activists, volunteers, journalists, representatives of local governments in Gostomel, Kherson, Berdyansk, Melitopol, Volnovakha, Nova Kakhovka and other settlements occupied by the Russian army. There are also known cases of murders of Ukrainian activists,” the Center notes..

The message talks about:.

the March 7 murder of Gostomel Mayor Yury Prilipko and two volunteers, Ruslan Karpenko and Ivan Zorya, during the distribution of humanitarian aid;

March 11-13 kidnapping of at least six people in Melitopol, including Mayor Ivan Fedorov, activist Olga Gaysumova and chairman of the district council Sergei Prima;

March 12 disappearance of activist Sergei Tsigipa in Nova Kakhovka and local journalist Oleg Baturin in neighboring Kakhovka;

kidnapping on March 13 of the mayor of the city of Dniprorudny Evgeny Matveev;

March 13 execution of volunteer and activist Alexander Kononov in his own house in the village of Borovsk near Severodonetsk.

According to the Center, there are reasonable suspicions that the abducted citizens are subjected to intimidation and torture..

Human rights activists also spoke about the “arrests” of more than 20 Ukrainian activists by Russian invaders in Volnovakha. According to People's Deputy Dmitry Lubinets, they were all on the lists of people published on the eve of the Western media - activists who should be "

The report noted that such actions of the Russian army testify to the desire to intimidate local residents who resist the occupation, persuade them to cooperate, as well as the intention to avenge the principled pro-Ukrainian position..

“Ignoring and passive reaction of the international community to manifestations of Russian aggression will lead to the scale of human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, in particular, an increase in the number of enforced disappearances and murders. In addition, citizens of other countries, in particular, Belarusian activists, foreign journalists, and other persons who are legally located on the territory of Ukraine, will also be at risk..

Human rights activists demand from international structures:.

Take actions to protect civilians of Ukraine who are at additional risk due to their public, volunteer, social activities, work in local governments or public service.

Force the Russian Federation to adhere to the provisions of (IV) the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the Additional Protocol (I) to the Geneva Conventions, (IV) the Hague Convention on the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its Annex, and to stop the violation of human rights.

Call on the Russian Federation to immediately release all illegally detained persons in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian army, including activists, journalists, representatives of local governments.

To disseminate as much information as possible about the abductions, intimidation, forced detention of civilians by the Russian army, including activists, journalists, representatives of local self-government bodies of Ukraine.

The Center addressed in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the UN Special Rapporteur.

In total, more than 60 organizations have joined the initiative.