About the project
The state project “Khochu k svoim” is an initiative aimed at satisfying the desire of certain individuals to continue their lives in the Russian Federation instead of Ukraine, on the condition of the return of Ukrainian prisoners from Russian captivity. The project, in particular, concerns those convicted of certain crimes against the foundations of national security, public security, peace and security of mankind, who do not wish to serve further punishment in Ukraine, but instead wish to travel to the Russian Federation.
The project is implemented by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with the support of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
The project is aimed at achieving the following goals:
- To provide an opportunity for Ukrainian citizens who are still cooperating with the enemy to cease such activities on defined terms by using a special form on the project website;
- To provide an opportunity for Ukrainian citizens who have information about the activities of enemy agents and spies to share it with the project (also using a special form on the website);
- Publication of information about convicted persons who cooperated with or assisted the Russian authorities in the war against Ukraine. This process takes place in accordance with the basic principles of information relations within the framework of state information policy — exclusively with the voluntary consent of the convicted persons. The presence or absence of a publication about a specific person in no way affects the participation (or non-participation) of that person in the project.
- To provide an opportunity for convicted Ukrainian citizens who do not wish to serve further punishment in Ukraine, but on the contrary express a desire to live in the Russian Federation in the future, to satisfy their desire on the condition of the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity; this opportunity applies to persons convicted of committing criminal offenses under Articles 111, 1111, 1112, 113, 258, 2581, 2586, 436, 4361, 4362 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- To provide an opportunity for other Ukrainian citizens or citizens of Russia who do not wish to live in Ukraine but express a desire to live in the Russian Federation to satisfy their desire. There may be many motives for this, mostly family reunification. Voluntary applications from such citizens to participate in the project are submitted through a special form on the project website. These applications are processed by representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in further coordination with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
To achieve these goals, the following mechanisms are provided:
- On the project website, information is published about Ukrainian citizens convicted of high treason and collaborative activities who have expressed a desire not to serve their sentence in Ukraine, but to travel to the Russian Federation on the condition of the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity;
- In parallel with this, the Coordination Headquarters, in cooperation with the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, conducts a joint information campaign, the purpose of which is to show Ukrainian society the consequences of cooperating with the enemy;
- Thanks to the information campaign, Ukrainians who are still cooperating with the enemy will learn about the opportunity to cease such activities;
- The same applies to citizens who have information about the activities of enemy agents and are ready to share it.
The mechanism for the departure to the Russian Federation of Ukrainian citizens convicted of high treason and collaborative activities is as follows:
- A citizen of Ukraine convicted of high treason or collaborative activities personally writes an application to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, in which he or she clearly and unambiguously expresses the desire to travel to the Russian Federation on the condition of the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
- The Coordination Headquarters, on the basis of the application of such a person, makes a decision on his or her departure to the Russian Federation on the condition of the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
- At the request of the prosecutor, a Ukrainian court, on the basis of Article 841 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, decides on the release of such a person from serving the sentence.
- In the event that the court releases such a person from serving the sentence, he or she, under the supervision of law enforcement agencies, proceeds to a designated place at the state border. After that, provided that the Russian authorities simultaneously return Ukrainians, the person freely departs to the Russian Federation.
- In the event that the departure of such a person to the Russian Federation does not take place due to the Russian side's failure to implement similar (mirror) measures, the court, at the request of the prosecutor, decides to send the person to serve the previously imposed sentence. After that, the person, under the supervision of law enforcement agencies, returns to the place of serving the sentence.