Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine urges release of Ukrainian OSCE staff held by Russia

Natalka Cmoc, Canada’s new ambassador to Ukraine, has called for the immediate release of Ukrainian OSCE staff members Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov, who have been unlawfully held by Russian authorities for four years due to their work with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.

“Please join me in calling for the immediate release of Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov,” Cmoc said. “They were wrongly sentenced to 13 Years on charges of high treason based on lies.” 

Serious violations of justice principles transpired in their specific cases, Cmoc added. Their release remains unresolved, and their detention represents a violation of international law, creating a dangerous precedent for international organizations.

“Their cases blatantly ignored their immunity and the international legal protections they deserve,” she said.

Shabanov and Petrov were sentenced to 13 years in September 2022 for “treason” and sent to high-security prisons inside the occupied part of Ukraine. In January, Shabanov was deported to Russia. 

He is in an Omsk regional prison, while Petrov remains at risk of deportation. Both men are Ukrainian citizens and international organization employees with diplomatic immunity.