They have no more time to wait. We must act.

“My name is Liusiena Zinovkina. I came to Germany two years ago when my home town of Melitopol was occupied by Russian soldiers. My husband’s name is Konstantin. He is 34 years old. He has been in Russian captivity for a year. My husband is a civilian, not a military man, not a soldier. He was kidnapped on the street by representatives of the Russian FSB in our home town. We didn’t know anything about him for almost six months. I thought he was no longer alive. Then my husband was shown on the main Russian channel in a propaganda programme. The Russians call him a terrorist, a zombie and a sick person just because he says that Ukraine is independent and Russia is a terrorist country. Our story is just one of thousands,” reports Zinovkina as a witness to serious human rights violations at the annual meeting of the ISHR’s German section in April in Bonn.

With the occupation of Crimea, Russia has started a war of attrition against the Ukrainian civilian population, in which it arbitrarily deports civilians to Russia, in addition to its military aggression. The families only receive information by chance. Some of the deported have lawyers, but instead of fighting for their clients‘ freedom, many of them follow Russian instructions to turn the innocent civilian into a perpetrator. In the case of Liusiena Zinovkina’s husband Konstantin, the lawyer refuses to co-operate with her and gives no information about Konstantin’s whereabouts.

“He is being transported from remand prison to remand prison. I have just learnt that my husband is now in Mariupol, but tomorrow that could change. Apparently, a show trial awaits him, in which he will receive 15 or 20 years in a strict regime colony. I am asking for your help.”

ISHR is collecting information about the abducted civilians and creating portraits for the ISHR website and for appeal letters. So far, the German section of the ISHR is in close contact with more than 50 families. But there is another category of fates. These are civilians that Russia has not confirmed, although witnesses and eyewitnesses know for certain that they too have been abducted. Only the intervention of politicians will enable the release of civilian hostages without conditions and exchanges. In order to initiate and support this, ISHR is looking for political sponsors. We help families who have fallen into financial hardship as a result of the kidnapping of the father of the family according to necessity and our possibilities. Our mandate: to present fates, maintain contact, give comfort, find sponsors and provide help.