Donetsk, Dec 20 - DAN. Forty-three supporters of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics held captive in Ukraine need additional verification for prisoner swap, DPR ombudswoman Darya Morozova told the Donetsk News Agency on Friday.
“As for additional verification, they number 43, not 40 (21 LPR supporters and 22 DPR supporters held in captivity),” Morozova said. “We’ve long known about them, and we agreed that humanitarian group coordinator for the OSCE Toni Frisch would handle their verification in Kiev as Ukraine had agreed to bring them to the city.”
“Frisch has our complete trust; the detainees know him, and they, too, have deep trust in him. I’m sure no trick will be played there: if people say that they don’t want to be exchanged, it’s their right, nobody is going to force them,” the ombudswoman said.
Of the 22 DPR supporters who need additional verification, seven have never rejected prisoner swap, she added.
On December 9, Paris hosted a summit of the leaders of the “Normandy Four” states (Germany, Russia, France, Ukraine). The outcome document said that a number of accords had been reached, including the decision to carry out a prisoner exchange in Donbass under the “all verified for all verified” principle before the New Year.*jk