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Chairman of the IC of Russia Holds a Personal Reception of Refugees from Donbass

Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, has held a personal meeting with a group of refugees who arrived to Belgorod Oblast from the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. The videoconference meeting was also attended by Eduard Valeryevich Kaburneev, First Deputy Chairman of the IC of Russia, Sergey Nikolaevich Goryainov, Deputy Chairman of the IC of Russia, heads of departments of the Central Office, as well as top officials of the Investigative Department of the IC of Russia for Belgorod Oblast.

The agenda focused on the investigation of criminal cases initiated over crimes committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the nationalist battalions against the civilian population. S.A. Zakharov, head of the Investigative Department of the IC of Russia for Belgorod Oblast, reported that there are now more than 9,000 refugees from Ukraine in the territory of the Belgorod Oblast, including more than 1,700 people from Donbass. All those who arrived from the DPR and LPR were interrogated, the majority were recognized as victims, their testimony reports were recorded and attached to criminal cases. Only a small part of those arrived turned to the head of the IC of Russia, but they articulated the issues that concern all refugees. Basically, these are issues of a legal and everyday life nature. In general, the people unanimously noted that all conditions have been created for them on the territory of the Russian Federation: many people have been accommodated in temporary accommodation centers, provided with food, the necessary medicines, children have the opportunity to attend educational institutions.

“Now we all must act in a coordinated and fast manner, because we are one people. People have lived for eight years in military conditions, many spent weeks in basements. Some barely managed to survive. And our common goal is to help them in everything and do it promptly”, said A.I. Bastrykin.

One of the women said that shortly before leaving the LPR, she gave birth to her baby, but she did not have time to get the necessary documents as she had to urgently leave her home. She also said that Ukrainian servicemen had organized a humanitarian corridor for them, but as soon as people had tried to leave through it, they had come under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of the IC of Russia emphasized that such cases testify to the manifestation of genocide. He turned to the refugees with a request to help the investigation in establishing the facts of crimes committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the nationalist battalions.

“We have been investigating these criminal cases since 2014, bringing charges against persons involved in the commission of crimes, some have already been sentenced. We continue this work so that not a single person who has committed crimes against peace and humanity escapes the deserved punishment,” said the head of the IC of Russia adding that investigations are carried out in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Offices of the DPR and LPR, with which an agreement had been concluded.

The main questions of the people concerned the ID issues, including filing applications for citizenship of the Russian Federation. A.I. Bastrykin noted that this procedure should be accelerated.

Another man from among the refugees was a volunteer of the LPR and, after being wounded, was treated in a Belgorod hospital. He asked for assistance in finding employment in the construction industry, as he plans to stay in Russia. Also, a resident of the LPR, who is in the last months of pregnancy, turned to the head of the IC of Russia. Now she is receiving the necessary medical care in Russia. However, the woman also asked for assistance in restoring her employment record book. Other applicants faced a similar problem: many lost their documents, which makes it difficult to find a job. A number of young people expressed their desire to continue their studies at universities in Russia, including at the IC academies. A.I. Bastrykin told the audience about the IC educational system which pays much attention to spiritual and patriotic education, extracurricular activities. He noted that everyone who wants to join the ranks of cadets and students of the educational institutions of the IC of Russia would receive support.

At the end of the meeting, A.I. Bastrykin instructed S.A. Zakharov to submit a report and a follow-up plan to address the issues articulated by the people, which have been put under control in The Central Office of the IC.