Two women human rights activists threatened in Donetsk

Source: http://novosti.dn.ua/details/221792/

Translation: Human Rights in Ukraine Information website of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1396557687)

Pro-Russian activists in Donetsk set upon two human rights workers – Oleksandra Dvoretska and Alyona Luneva who came to Donetsk to tell journalists and the public about the situation in the Crimea.

Oleksandra explains that they had met with some students from Donetsk institutes and then headed off to a press conference. As they walked through Lenin Square, one of the pro-Russian activists tried to get them to sign a petition claiming that after they held a referendum, everything would go well.  Oleksandra retorted that everything’s already good in the Crimea, and that led to an argument. “The pro-Russian activists noticed the Ukrainian ribbon on my bag. Even in the Crimea nobody ripped that ribbon off, and I’ve been walking around with it since December.  But here several young men in camouflage came up to us, ripped off the ribbon and began threatening us. They told them to get out or they’d kill them.  The police, the women say, did nothing and simply watched.

Alyona Luneva says that it all began the same way in the Crimea.  At first it was dangerous to walk about with Ukrainian symbols, later journalists began to suffer.

At present the women say life is continuing in the Crimea but things have changed radically.  Prices are higher and armed men in camouflage are continuing to walk around the streets. They can demand that people produce their passports, and even check their bags.  The men have no insignia, but the women say that everybody knows that they’re Russian soldiers.

They also say that people are continuing to disappear.