 Source: HRO.org (info) • Army Conscripts’ rights Human rights defenders Ukraine Since 10 July until 12 September 2014 the human rights organisations For Human Rights and Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers of Russia have been contacted by 231 people who are the parents of conscripted and contracted soldiers who, the parents believe, are taking part in military action on Ukrainian territory. The key signs are sudden disappearance, mobile communication turned off, presence on Ukrainian territory from 10 days to a few months, occasional contact confirming position in Ukraine. As an illustration, here are two statements received by For Human Rights, and also the appeal of two mothers of conscripts to the Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu. They have not received a reply. ___________________________________________________________________ № 1394558 To L.A. Ponomarev, Director of the NGO For Human Rights from Sergei Viktorovich, father of a soldier Statement Our son and brother Titov, Nikita Sergeevich, is a soldier with 106 Division of the 51st regiment of the city of Tula. He was enlisted on 25th November 2013 in Moscow. We have found out that on 24th August he, as part of a company of the 51st regiment, was on Ukrainian territory and advanced an estimated 70km from the border towards Donetsk, taking part in military action in the village Ekaterinovka. Our guys are CONSCRIPTS! They have been repeatedly forced to sign reports on voluntarily crossing the border without indication of dates and other documents. On 04.09.2014 they got in contact and said that they were on Russian territory, in Matveev Kurgan. They also said that they had been taken to Ukrainian territory. In their company there is also one soldier with concussion, who is currently in hospital near Krasnogorsk. We know that some died. We sent our son to protect our homeland. BUT THERE IS NO OFFICIAL WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE. RETURN OUR SONS. We don’t want our son to be considered an occupier, even although he has had to shoot at people and see soldiers’ corpses, causing him moral and psychological trauma. We are asking you to facilitate the speedy return to the territory of military unit 33842 of the city Tula of our son and his fellow soldiers, who have been forcible sent to war. The leadership of the military unit has not given us any information about their location or about when they will return to their base. The official version is that they are on training. PLEASE TAKE ACTION. ___________________________________________________________________ 12.09.2014 № 1394560 “To the NGO For Human Rights from Adelya Abdulbarovna Kamaletdinova, mother of the conscripted soldier Aleksei Mikhailovich Shelukhin. Statement My son Shelukhin, Aleksei Mikailovich, born 1995, was enlisted on 25th August 2013 and serves in military unit 33842 of the city of Tula (106 Division, 51st Regiment, 5th reconnaissance unit). From 19th August until 4th September my son and his colleagues did not get in contact. On 04/09/2014 my son phoned me on my mobile. During the conversation I found out that all this time they had been in Ukraine, taking part in military action (one of the listed towns was Ekaterinovka in Lugansk Oblast, but other towns were also named). One of the soldiers, Aleksei Korneev, is currently in a Ministry of Defence hospital near Krasnogorsk. Earlier he spent a few days in a hospital in Rostov-on-Don. According to the messages of our children (we are in touch with the parents of our son’s colleagues), they might be sent to Ukrainian territory again. They have been forced to write reports WITHOUT DATES! I, as a mother, am categorically against my son being sent (as it turns out for a second time) to take part in military action anywhere on the territory of another state. They are conscripts! ______________________________________________________________________ We also present the letter sent electronically to the Ministry of Defence by two mothers of conscripts. № 1394562 Request to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation Author category: “Family members of soldiers and sergeants (conscripts)” Place of work (service, code name of the military unit): “Military unit 33842 of the city of Tula, 106 Division Airborne Forces, 51st Regiment, 5th Company/Reconnaissance Company)” Text of the appeal: “Dear Sergei Kuzhugetovich, Our children, CONSCRIPTED soldiers of military unit 33842 of the city of Tula, Division 106, 51st Division, 5th Company (Reconaissance Company), were sent to Rostov region and from 19th August until 4th September 2014 did not get in contact. On 04-09-2014 our sons called and said that they had been taking part in military action on Ukrainian territory. The most serious battle they took part in was in Ekaterinovka, but other towns were also named. We know for certain that one of the company, Aleksei Korneev, is currently in the Ministry of Defence hospital near Krasnogorsk with concussion. Now they are being forced again, as before, to write reports that they voluntarily crossed the border with Ukraine, without indicating the dates. They have already seen action. They had to shoot people and to step over corpses. We cannot get through to the commander of their unit, we get the answer, “They are on training excercises”. Now (05/09/2014) they are probably being redeployed to Ukrainian territory. THEY ARE CONSCRIPTS! We have enough contracted soldiers and volunteers that we don’t need to send our children, who are CONSCRIPTS, there! HELP US! STOP SENDING OUR CHILDREN TO WAR! RETURN OUR CHILDREN! Mother of the soldier Nikolai Titov/ Natalya Nikolaevna Titova Mother of soldier Aleksei Shelukhin/ Adelya Abdulbarovna Kamaletdinova _______________________________________________________________________ Source: Lev Ponomarev’s blog on the website of Ekho of Moscow Translated by Chloe Cranston |
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