Eight European military observers held prisoner by pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine were marched out under armed guard yesterday to give public assurances that they were not being mistreated.
Germany’s foreign minister condemned the appearance as “revolting” and a violation of the men’s dignity. Four members of the team are German.
One of the observers, a Swedish officer, was released for medical reasons.
The insurgents in Slovyansk have taken a number of people hostage, including journalists and pro-Ukraine activists, as they strengthen their control in the east of the country in defiance of the interim government in Kiev and its Western supporters.
Colonel Axel Schneider from Germany, who spoke for the group detained on Friday, stressed that they were on a diplomatic mission under the auspices of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe and were not spying for Nato, as the insurgents claim.
He said proof of this was the participation of the officer from Sweden, which is not a member of Nato.
The observers, who appeared nervous, were in the custody of armed men wearing camouflage fatigues and black balaclavas, who escorted them into the Slovyansk city hall for the news conference. Col Schneider, however, said they were being treated as well as possible under the circumstances.
“The mayor of this city granted us his protection and he regarded us as his guests,” Col Schneider said. “I can tell you that the word of the mayor is a word of honor. We have not been touched.”
The Swedish officer, Major Thomas Johansson, got into a car with OSCE representatives outside city hall and drove off with them. He was freed “on humanitarian grounds as he has a mild form of diabetes”, said a spokeswoman for the city’s mayor.