Russian Ombudsman To Request Information On Kiev's Secret Jail From Ukrainian Counterpart

Alexander Brod, a member of the Russia's Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, said that he would formally file a request with the Ukrainian ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, for information on the secret prison at the airfield in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) Alexander Brod, a member of the Russia's Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, said that he would formally file a request with the Ukrainian ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, for information on the secret prison at the airfield in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

On Wednesday, Sputnik reported that it had found documentary proof of the existence of Kiev's secret prison. It said that it had interviewed both ex-prisoners and prison staff and possessed video materials and medical evidence, provided both by Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, substantiating the interviews. Moreover, Sputnik reported that the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine had confirmed the existence of this jail to the news outlet.

"I will file a formal request for information about this secret jail in Mariupol to [Ukrainian ombudswoman Lyudmyla] Denisova," Brod told Sputnik.

Brod added that he considered it to be an important time to investigate the secret jail claims, since Russia and Ukraine were currently discussing the possible release and exchange of prisoners. If it was discovered that Russian nationals were currently detained in the secret jail, it would prove crucial to the negotiations.

The secret jail is reported to belong to Ukraine's special operations Azov Battalion under the auspices of the country's Security Service (SBU). Sputnik reported earlier on Thursday that it had obtained an SBU document that showed that the jail had operated until at least November 2018. In its investigation, Sputnik found no facts pointing to the jail terminating its operations since then and found that the SBU tried to conceal information leaks about the secret prison.