One of the main problems after release from unlawful imprisonment is the excessively long path to state assistance. A person has to prove their status, gather documents, and go through complex procedures. As a result, assistance often fails to arrive when it is needed most.

Resolution No. 1775 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is a partial attempt to solve this problem. It provides for priority support measures for civilians who have been affected by deprivation of personal liberty as a result of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine — including a one-off payment of UAH 50,000.

Liudmyla Shumkova, lawyer at the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin, explains that the resolution applies to two categories of released civilians: those who returned through a prisoner exchange or another official release procedure, and those who returned on their own.

To receive the one-off payment of UAH 50,000, several steps are required. First — fill in an application using the approved form. Next — prepare the package of documents. For people released through an exchange or another official release procedure, the Procedure explicitly requires a certificate from the SBU's Joint Centre. For those who returned on their own, in addition to the application, applicants must provide a copy of an identity document confirming Ukrainian citizenship, as well as a document recognising them as a victim in criminal proceedings. The application and documents are then submitted to the Ministry of Development. Under the Procedure, the Ministry has 30 working days from the date of receipt to review the application.

That said, according to Liudmyla Shumkova, the real workings of this mechanism will only become clear once the first applications are submitted. So far, no one has received assistance under this procedure, and the application form itself was only approved on 11 March. One of the main risks at this stage is the requirement for a certificate from the SBU's Joint Centre. The Procedure does not spell out in detail how a person is to obtain such a certificate, within what timeframes, or in what form. Because of this, the requirement may become an additional barrier as early as the document submission stage.

If a person was released through an exchange, there is a higher chance that information about them is already held by the Joint Centre. If a person returned on their own, this data may not exist. The same is true if their relatives did not previously submit information to the Joint Centre.

If you have been released from unlawful imprisonment, we urge you not to delay and to apply for assistance now. If you need a consultation, help with gathering documents, or clarification on Resolution No. 1775, contact the Association for legal assistance by filling in the form on our website. We are ready to help you through this process.

A more detailed analysis of Resolution No. 1775, prepared by Kateryna Levchenko, legal expert at the Association, is available at this link.

This publication has been prepared with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its content does not necessarily reflect the official position of EED. The information and views set out in this publication are the sole responsibility of the NGO Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin.