Two Russian citizens have turned to members of Ukraine’s State Border Service at the checkpoint of Hoptivka in Kharkiv region, seeking political asylum in Ukraine, the State Border Service’s media center said.
“These citizens are current employees of the internal affairs agencies of the Russian Federation, who [claim they] are being persecuted in Russia for their principled position on countering crime. The reason why they are seeking political asylum in Ukraine is that they are hiding from persecution over their official work …The [two] Russians explain that those who they dealt with as police officers of the Russian Federation are members of a powerful criminal group engaged in drug trafficking, with a clear and extensive system of ties among officials at different levels in the power structures of the Russian Federation,” it said.
According to the two Russian citizens who asked for asylum, they fell victim to persecution by influential people because they tried to counteract drug trafficking through pharmacies at their site of responsibility. They also claim that the internal security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has fabricated a criminal case against them, which is being investigated by the Investigative Committee.
“Not hoping for a fair investigation in connection with the ‘order’ by the authorities, they decided to flee the Russian Federation to Ukraine. The Russians also said they had been told by friends there was a real threat to their freedom, health and even life. Relevant vetting measures are underway to check the provided information,” it said.
