Ukrainian journalist arrested on “separatism” charges appeals to OSCE

Yelena Glyschinskaya, a Ukrainian journalist who was arrested by the Ukrainian security services over the Bessarabia People’s Rada (BPR) case has appealed to the OSCE Office in Ukraine for support against the arbitrary rule in the country.

In her letter published by Odessa-based mass media, the journalist asks the OSCE to draw attention to her arrest and to the fate of hundreds of political prisoners in Ukraine. The journalist tells that she has been kept in prison for already three months and the “representatives of Ukraine’s Security Service openly recommend her admitting to separatist and anti-governmental activities in exchange for patronage at the court.”

EADaily reported earlier that in April 2015 national minorities in the Odessa region united into the Bessarabia People’s Rada non-governmental organization to protect their rights. More than 100 delegates representing Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Russian, Ukrainian, Tsigan, Moldovan, and Polish communities attended the constituent conference. Since then, the leaders of the national communities that established the BPR have been attacked and beaten up by the activists of the Right Sector and other radical nationalist organizations. Ukrainian security officers have repeatedly searched houses of BPR members. They have arrested some of the movement’s leaders, including Dmitry Zatuliveter, the leader of the organization, public figures Alik Vetrov, Sergey Zagoryuk, a deputy of the city council Mikhail Levkin, journalists Glyschinskaya, Artyom Buzila and others.

 The last attack was on June 17 in Odessa, when unidentified attackers beat up one of the BPR leaders Vera Shevchenko.