“What is more terrible – an obvious ENEMY or a doubting FRIEND? What is more likely to kill you – the illusion of presence or 100% absence? Today I will speak on behalf of and on behalf of those who know the answer for sure. On behalf of the still living and on behalf of the already dead”, – this is how the presentation of Yanina Stemkovskaya, representative of UnMode in Ukraine, begins
On November 22,Yanina took part in the 3rd European Prison Conference “Health in Prisons: Government Responsibility” in Lisbon (Portugal).
“All of you present here consider yourself a FRIEND of prisoners – because you think that you are helping us and doing us good. All of you present here believe that your help is AVAILABLE, because you all work hard, spend a lot of resources on “helping prisoners.” But how can you consider yourself a FRIEND of someone whose opinion about yourself as a friend is not important to you? Is it possible to consider your help as REALLY AVAILABLE if the person you are called to help does not receive it? The answer to these questions is obvious – no, you can’t.
That is why I will tell you a story about Kherson prisoners, because you are friends and your help really exists,” Yanina continues.
“Immediately after the start of the war, on March 2, the Kherson region was occupied by the russian army, including Golopristan prison No. 7. The prisoniers from all over Ukraine were treated for tuberculosis here. On March 5, my client informs me about the critical situation in the prison No. 7: beatings, shortages of food, water, medicines, and asks for help. But, as I understand later, he does not represent “sufficient data”. On March 6, I appeal to all the country’s human rights and social organizations i kow. But on March 9, the Ombudsman of Ukraine, Lyudmila Denisova, issued an official statement that all convicts had been evacuated from the Kherson region”, continues Yana.
We know that any administrative error, inaction or action by the authorities can have critical consequences for the health of prisoners. Thus, prisoners are a vulnerable group whose protected right to health should be subject to the core obligations of states. But it is not customary to speak openly about the responsibility of human rights defenders, including global institutions for the protection of human rights. And it is to this responsibility that Yanina Stemkovskaya’s speech calls.
Since the beginning of March, I, my client, all the organizations that I turned to for help have been engaged not in finding a way to help prisoners in the occupied Kherson region, but in finding and collecting “sufficient data” first of the very existence of prisoners in the occupied Kherson region, and then collecting “sufficient data” that the rights of these prisoners are indeed being violated. SUCH data that would convince respected international organizations and respected international experts from the field of prisons, health and human rights of the need for IMMEDIATE intervention.
We were looking for this “enough data” for YOU, including. After all, it is YOU who are representatives of respected international organizations and it is you who are respected international experts in the field of prisons, health and human rights.” – Yanina addresses all participants of the Conference.
“Now no one doubts and does not require additional confirmation: there were prisoners in the Kherson region, their rights were violated, they were tortured, they were deprived of treatment, they were not moved to the shelter during the moments of rocket bombardments. And instead of help, we doubted, clarified, collected “sufficient data,” Yana continues in her report.
“The sad ending of my story about the Kherson prisoners: At the end of October, all the convicts of the Kherson region, about 2 thousand people, were taken to the Golopristan colony 7. By the beginning of November 2022, almost all convicts, except for a few palliative patients (they were left to die in the prison No. 7), were taken through the Crimea to the krasnodar district, russian Federation.
Where will they be taken next, and what will happen to these people? – and I have no answer to this question. Now they don’t even have the right to make a phone call to tell them where they are. Communication with my client is lost, we could not help him. Several thousand Ukrainian citizens sentenced under the law of Ukraine to deprivation of liberty for a certain period of time were actually handed over to the federal Penitentiary Service system to be torn to pieces. Sent to get die…
At that moment, Yana could not hold back her tears. She unfurled the flag that she brought with her from Poltava and said bravely: “Glory to Ukraine!”. And the whole hall answered: “Glory to the Heroes!”
“Can we influence changes in the requirements for “sufficiency of data” in situations where a person’s life is in danger and urgent intervention is required?
Are we fully aware of our personal responsibility for people’s lives when we set high barriers for them to receive support?
But I hope to find answers to these questions together with you.
Finishing her speech, Yanina returned to its beginning: “A doubting FRIEND has become more terrible than an obvious enemy. Thousands of people have been killed and continue to be killed by the illusion of having the opportunity to receive help from those who can really give this help. I will quote our truly people’s President, on behalf of Kherson prisoners to everyone us: if you are of no use, DISSOLVE YOURSELF”
After the speech, dozens of people contacted Yana and thanked her for the voice of truth about people living during the war between russia and Ukraine.
“One woman from the Presidium came up and spoke in pure Ukrainian. She said: Thank you for the presentation! Nobody wants to touch this topic. Thanks for the courage to talk about it. You are not here in vain. You have been heard. I’m talking to you. And she left,” says Yana.
UnMode expects to receive a video of Yana’s performance in the very near future, we will publish it on our Youtube channel
Yanina’s speech is available here UnMode