Volodymyr Ariev opens petition to rescue Mariupol defenders, increases pressure on Russia over Olenivka crime 

Ariev wrote about this on Facebook. 

The petition is available for signature at the link. Almost one and a half thousand people have already signed the document.

We submit the petition in full text:

Considering the mass murder of at least 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war, which happened on the night of July 29, 2022 in Olenivka;

Taking into account the attempts of the Russian Federation to immediately accuse Ukraine of having killed its servicemen in the Olenivka prison by firing at them with a GMLRS missile from a HIMARS MLRS, which turned out to be completely untrue and did not inspire confidence in the world;

Taking into account that the available satellite images of the scene of the tragedy and the conclusions of experts indicate the use of thermobaric ammunition inside the prison building;

Taking into account the fact that, according to the available evidence, the killing of the defenders of Mariupol in Olenivka has all the signs of a terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation against defenseless Ukrainian prisoners of war;

Considering that this war crime committed by Russia is a violation of the Geneva Conventions for the Treatment of Prisoners of War;

Taking into account that the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine are an unprovoked military aggression against a sovereign state, resulting in the death of thousands of civilians as a result of shelling and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, which is a manifestation of terror;

Considering the need to oppose military actions and new terrorist attacks of the Russian Federation against Ukraine;

WE, the SIGNATORIES of the petition

We condemn the cynical murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war, defenders of Mariupol, committed by the Russian Federation on the night of July 29, 2022 in Olenivka;

We call on the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to immediately respond to the terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation and to send representatives of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to the territory of the colony in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily Russia-occupied territory of the Donetsk region for the purpose of an inspection mission;

We call on the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to take measures to constantly monitor the conditions of detention of all Ukrainian prisoners of war who are in the territory of the Russian Federation and in the temporarily Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine;

We call on the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Independent International Medical Humanitarian Organization Doctors Without Borders to immediately do everything possible to free the captured women doctors without any preconditions, including pregnant and wounded women.

We call on international institutions to intensify efforts for the exchange and return to Ukraine of the defenders of Mariupol, since the efforts of Ukraine alone do not give the necessary results for this;

We appeal to the United Nations, the European Union, the European Council, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the parliaments and governments of NATO member states:

• to recognize the actions of the Russian Federation regarding the murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war, which the Russian Federation committed on the night of July 29, 2022 in Olenivka, as an act of terrorism;

• to recognize the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism;

• to increase pressure on the Russian Federation and states that cooperate with it and support its terrorist regime, including through the introduction of sanctions provided for in accordance with the status of a state sponsor of terrorism, including a full embargo on trade in energy carriers with state and private companies affiliated with Russia  Federation, as well as disconnection from the SWIFT system of all financial institutions of the Russian Federation.

We believe that the full use of the above opportunities available in the United Nations, the European Union, the European Council, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the parliaments and governments of NATO member states, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Independent International Medical Humanitarian Organization Doctors Without Borders in the presence of political will will much sooner force the Russian Federation to abandon the continuation of unprovoked aggression against Ukraine and stop its terrorist activities, and the guilty persons will be punished for war crimes and terror against Ukraine.