Abductions on Rise in Rebel-Held Eastern Ukraine

From international observers and journalists topro-Ukrainian activists, priests and ordinary citizens, cases of arbitrarydetention and abductions are on the rise in the areas of eastern Ukrainecontrolled by pro-Russian rebels.

"Kidnappings began from the very beginning of theinsurgency and today we estimate the number of those being detained illegallyat 200," Maria Oliynik, an activist with Ukrainian rights watchdogProsvita, told AFP.

Those held hostage are usually kept in basements and safehouses guarded by gunmen from the rebel "authorities" of theself-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine -- and theUnited Nations says they can face beatings, torture and even execution.

But after almost two months of bloodshed in the region thesituation is chaotic and with rebels splintering into different groups it issometimes difficult to tell which faction is actually holding the detainees.

For close to a fortnight now two groups of observers fromthe Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- totallingeight international monitors and a Ukrainian interpreter -- have been heldcaptive and incommunicado after separatists picked them up, three days apart,in late May.

These latest abductions come after seven OSCE observers sentto Ukraine by the Vienna-based organisation to pacify the region and fosterdialogue were held for eight days by pro-Russian rebels in their strongholdcity of Slavyansk and released in early May.

But while some rebel leaders in Slavyansk have reportedlyclaimed the observers are in their custody others say that they have no ideawhere they are.

"We are searching for these observers, but we are notable to control the whole territory (of the Donetsk region)," AleksandrBorodai, the "prime minister" of the "People's Republic of Donetsk"and in theory the senior rebel official in the region, told reporters onSaturday.

- Killings, torture -

Beyond the headline-grabbing seizure of internationalobservers, the latest reports from the United Nations, OSCE and Human RightsWatch confirm that the scale of abductions is growing.

A recent UN report cited "numerous instances ofkillings, torture, beatings, kidnappings and intimidation mostly perpetrated bywell-organised and well-armed anti-government groups in the country'seast".

The report highlights "the alarming increase inkidnapping and illegal detention of journalists, activists, local politicians(and) NGO representatives".

"Although some people were ultimately released, theremains of many others were thrown into rivers and other places," thedocument from May 16 reads.

- 'Prisoners of war' -

The rebels though deny the allegations of brutality and saythe people being held are legitimate targets.

"They are mostly people who engaged in hostileactivities, stuck up subversive leaflets and campaigned against the People'sRepublic of Donetsk," Leonid Baranov, the national security council memberin charge of the "commission for the prisoners of war", told AFP.

"A decree was issued by the government to arrest thosewho engage in activities hostile to the People's Republic of Donetsk," hesaid.

Claiming that he was not aware of the total number of the"prisoners of war" being held in Donetsk, Baranov said a tentativeestimate would be "some 15" people. He rejected as "lies"the testimonies of former prisoners about systematic beatings while incaptivity.

International organisations report that those being heldcome from a wide range of backgrounds: miners union leader Oleksandr Vovk,Polish Catholic priest Father Pawel Witek, Protestant pastor Sergiy Kosiak,local officials from Ukrainian political parties, such as Yaroslav Malachuk andArtem Popyk, and journalists accused of spying.

Sometimes the pretext for detention can be very flimsyindeed, says human rights activist Oliynik.

"It can suffice that your ID card indicates an addressin Kiev or in western Ukraine to become a suspect and be arrested. This was thecase of the student from Kiev, Igor Khotria, who was arrested when he arrivedto visit his family that lives near Donetsk," she said.

But there may be a deeper reason for the detentions, withseparatists using those held as bargaining chips in negotiations over prisonerswaps with Kiev for rebel supporters they claim are being held illegally by thecentral government.

The separatist leader Aleksandr Borodai said Saturday that aprisoners swap was being negotiated with the assistance of the OSCE and UNrepresentatives in Donetsk.

"We are in talks to achieve the release of thehostages. Insurgents now hold more than 200 people, citizens of differentcountries," Kiev-appointed governor of the Donetsk region Sergiy Tarutaconfirmed.