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Slavyansk self-defense not to release OSCE observers as 'spies' among them

26 April 2014, 12:52 -- The Slavyansk self-defense forces do not intend to release foreign military observers detained in the East of Ukraine, because they are considered to be 'spies,' a representative of the local militia said at a press briefing in Slavyansk on Saturday.

The day before, 'People's mayor' of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, informed RIA Novosti that at one of the roadblocks, supporters of federalization had stopped a bus allegedly with representatives of the OSCE accompanied by Ukrainian officers.

According to him, there were 12 people in the bus, and the militiamen suspect that four of them are officers of the Ukrainian General Staff. Others are allegedly former and acting officers from European countries. According to the statement of the Ukrainian side, they worked in accordance with the Vienna Agreement of 2011 on confidence-building measures and security.

'They have military maps of Slavyansk on them with marked roadblocks, as well as ammunition and military badges,' a representative of the militia said on Saturday.

Journalists were also shown the documents of the detainees whose names are John Christensen (Denmark), Krzysztof Kobelsky (Poland), Axel Schneider (Germany), in which the military observers were called 'officers.' According to head of the provisional government of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, who came to take part in negotiations, the militia suspects the detainees of espionage 'in favor of NATO.'

According to activists, there were four citizens of Germany in the bus, and also representatives of Denmark, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. 'There were also officers of the General Staff of Ukraine in the delegation,' Pushilin stated noting that the militia was going to exchange them 'for our prisoners, in particular, for Pavel Gubarev(arrested 'People's Governor' of Donetsk).'

Pushilin also assured journalists that the detainees were treated kindly.

Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_26/Slavyansk-self-defense- not-to-release-OSCE-observers-as-spies-among-them-5016/