Ukrainian OSCE workers sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison
- In April 2022, three OSCE workers from Ukraine were seized by pro-Russian forces in the Luhansk region.
- The Russian-controlled court sentenced Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov to 13 years in prison for treason.
- International organizations and Ukrainian officials condemn the detainment and call for the immediate release of the three workers.
In April 2022, three Ukrainian workers for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were seized from their homes in the Luhansk region, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The detained individuals, including Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov, were involved in OSCE's ceasefire monitoring operations in areas affected by conflict since 2014. Their arrest was part of a coordinated operation by pro-Russian forces, and they were later convicted of treason by a Russian-controlled court in September 2022, receiving sentences of 13 years in prison. Allegations surfaced regarding torture and coercion during their detention. In March 2025, Shabanov was transferred from a Luhansk detention facility to a high-security penal colony in Siberia. Despite international outcry and calls for their release from organizations and Ukrainian representatives, the three men remain imprisoned. Local and international officials argue their detainment violates their rights as international civil servants, with some speculating they are being used as bargaining chips in geopolitical negotiations.