The Ukrainian Red Cross said that its volunteer was not being sought at the time the evacuation vehicle was stopped in the Mykolaiv region. Also, at the scene he was not told that they planned to take him to the TCC and SP to undergo a military medical commission.
The Ukrainian Red Cross said this in an additional clarification regarding the situation that occurred on August 14 during the evacuation of civilians from Kherson.
According to the organization, at the time the vehicle was stopped the volunteer was performing a humanitarian task — transporting civilians from a dangerous area. After the vehicle was stopped, other Red Cross volunteers continued the evacuation. They picked up the people and completed their transport, although with a delay.
The Red Cross noted that it understands the legal requirements regarding mobilization and military registration. At the same time, the organization has a large number of volunteers who have already been mobilized, and the issue of their exemption from mobilization, according to the organization’s representatives, has still not been properly regulated.
“At the same time, this situation concerns special circumstances: at the time of the stop the volunteer was directly performing a difficult humanitarian task — evacuating civilians from a dangerous area”, — the post said.
The organization stated that it currently does not have a clear understanding of the conditions under which their volunteers can freely carry out evacuation and other humanitarian tasks in the territory of Mykolaiv region or while transiting through it, while at the same time complying with military registration requirements.
The Red Cross believes that such uncertainty creates risks for the continuity of humanitarian work and may affect volunteers’ involvement in evacuating the population, responding to emergencies, and assisting victims.
The organization appealed to the Main Directorate of the National Police in Mykolaiv region, the National Police of Ukraine, the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights with a request to clarify the procedure for interaction between the police and the TCC with volunteers of humanitarian organizations during the performance of evacuation and rescue tasks.
The Red Cross said it is ready for dialogue with state authorities to create a mechanism that will allow simultaneous compliance with legal requirements and not interrupt humanitarian assistance.
Recall that on August 14, during the evacuation of two families from Kherson, a vehicle of the Ukrainian Red Cross was stopped in the Mykolaiv region. Earlier the organization reported that the driver was sent to the VLK.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that the National Police has launched an internal investigation into the lawfulness of the police officer’s actions. Also, the Ombudsman’s Office opened disciplinary proceedings regarding the Commissioner’s Representative in Kherson Oblast.