New mayor installed in Russian-controlled city of Melitopol

[Rogue Valley]

New mayor installed in Russian-controlled city of Melitopol - UPI.com

A new mayor was installed in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday one day after Russian forces forcibly detained the city's elected mayor, Ivan Fedorov.

www.upi.com

A new mayor was installed in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday one day after Russian forces forcibly detained the city's elected mayor, Ivan Fedorov. Melitopol's new acting mayor is former city councilor Galina Danilchenko, CNN reports. The Zaporozhye regional administration announced Danilchenko's installment on local television. She was not elected. Melitopol is located in south Ukraine. It has close cultural ties to Russia, and many of its citizens speak the language of the invading country. But Mayor Ivan Federov, 33, publicly called the occupying Russian soldiers "occupiers." According to Ukrainian officials, the Russians threw a bag over his head and drug him from his office Friday night, The New York Times reports.

In a televised address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Federov's capture "a crime against democracy." "Obviously, this is a sign of the weakness of the invaders. They did not find any support on our land, although they counted on it, because for years they have been lying to themselves that people in Ukraine were supposedly waiting for Russia to come," Zelensky said. Crowds took to the streets in Melitopol on Saturday to protest Federov's capture, with around 2,000 people gathering outside the Russian-occupied city hall building. "Bring back the mayor! Bring back the mayor!" they chanted, according to The Washington Post. "Freedom to the mayor! Freedom to the mayor!" Melitopol has a population of around 150,000 people. It's been under Russian control for two weeks.

The Russian occupiers are following the same script they used in Crimea in 2014. Appoint pro-Russia individuals as new officials, and then hold sham referendums to cement Russia's hold on the occupied areas.

Russian appointed mayor Galina Danilchenko is a member of the "Opposition Bloc" political party which is merely a rebranded name for the Party of Regions political party of former president Viktor Yanukovych (who sought sanctuary in Russia. He was convicted of treason in absetia in 2019 and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment). The Opposition Bloc in Ukraine today is managed by Viktor Medvedchuk who is Putin's "grey cardinal" in Ukraine. He is/was under house arrest in Kyiv for the charge of conspiracy aganist Ukraine. Ms. Danilchenko has been charged with treason by Ukraine's Zelenskyy government.

The Kremlin is also busy shutting down information about the Russian invasion to Ukrainian citizens.....

Russia-installed mayor in captured Ukrainian city says it's now airing Russian state TV, which is heavily censoring news of the war

 

[Monica33]

Great to see liberation occurring so quickly.

 

[Hamish Howl]

Dude better have plenty of security.

 

[NWRatCon]

Article 42 of The Hague Regulations of 1907 defines occupation as follows: “Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised.”

The duties of the occupying power are spelled out primarily in the 1907 Hague Regulations (arts 42-56) and the Fourth Geneva Convention (GC IV, art. 27-34 and 47-78), as well as in certain provisions of Additional Protocol I and customary international humanitarian law.

Agreements concluded between the occupying power and the local authorities cannot deprive the population of occupied territory of the protection afforded by international humanitarian law (GC IV, art. 47) and protected persons themselves can in no circumstances renounce their rights (GC IV, art. 8).

The main rules o f the law applicable in case of occupation state that:

• The occupant does not acquire sovereignty over the territory.
• Occupation is only a temporary situation, and the rights of the occupant are limited to the extent of that period.
• The occupying power must respect the laws in force in the occupied territory, unless they constitute a threat to its security or an obstacle to the application of the international law of occupation.
• The occupying power must take measures to restore and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety.
• To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the occupying power must ensure sufficient hygiene and public health standards, as well as the provision of food and medical care to the population under occupation.
• The population in occupied territory cannot be forced to enlist in the occupier's armed forces.
• Collective or individual forcible transfers of population from and within the occupied territory are prohibited.
• Transfers of the civilian population of the occupying power into the occupied territory, regardless whether forcible or voluntary, are prohibited.
• Collective punishment is prohibited.
• The taking of hostages is prohibited.
• Reprisals against protected persons or their property are prohibited.
• The confiscation of private property by the occupant is prohibited.
• The destruction or seizure of enemy property is prohibited, unless absolutely required by military necessity during the conduct of hostilities.
• Cultural property must be respected.
• People accused of criminal offences shall be provided with proceedings respecting internationally recognized judicial guarantees (for example, they must be informed of the reason for their arrest, charg ed with a specific offence and given a fair trial as quickly as possible).
• Personnel of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement must be allowed to carry out their humanitarian activities. The ICRC, in particular, must be given access to all protected persons, wherever they are, whether or not they are deprived of their liberty.

Private property cannot be confiscated by the occupier.

Food and medical supplies may be requisitioned exclusively for the use of the occupation forces and administration personnel themselves (i.e. not for purposes of export outside of the occupied territory and not for the benefit of anyone beyond the occupying personnel, unless necessary for the benefit of the population under occupation itself) and only if the needs of the civilian population have been taken into account (GC IV, art. 55).

 

[joluoto]

New mayor installed in Russian-controlled city of Melitopol - UPI.com

A new mayor was installed in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday one day after Russian forces forcibly detained the city's elected mayor, Ivan Fedorov.

www.upi.com

The Russian occupiers are following the same script they used in Crimea in 2014. Appoint pro-Russia individuals as new officials, and then hold sham referendums to cement Russia's hold on the occupied areas.

Russian appointed mayor Galina Danilchenko is a member of the "Opposition Bloc" political party which is merely a rebranded name for the Party of Regions political party of former president Viktor Yanukovych (who sought sanctuary in Russia. He was convicted of treason in absetia in 2019 and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment). The Opposition Bloc in Ukraine today is managed by Viktor Medvedchuk who is Putin's "grey cardinal" in Ukraine. He is/was under house arrest in Kyiv for the charge of conspiracy aganist Ukraine. Ms. Danilchenko has been charged with treason by Ukraine's Zelenskyy government.

The Kremlin is also busy shutting down information about the Russian invasion to Ukrainian citizens.....

Russia-installed mayor in captured Ukrainian city says it's now airing Russian state TV, which is heavily censoring news of the war

Hmm, which of the two Opposition Black spinters is this one from (the party split in two in 2019). Ah, she seem to have bailed from party politics before the split. But how did the two Opposition Block splinters do last election? Oh, one only managed to win 13% of the vote and secure 43 seats, that would be Opposition Platform — For Life, that btw is protesting the Russian invasion now, even though they pretty much supported Putin a few months ago, the other: Opposition Bloc — Party for Peace and Development, only managed win 3% of the vote 6 seats in the Rada, this party is pretty much defunct now, since most members defected to Ukraine is Our Home.

​

 

[Rogue Valley]

From what I understand, the kidnapped Ukrainian Mayor of Melitopol - Ivan Fedorov - has regained his freedom.

One explanation is that he was swapped for 9 Russian POW's. Another explanation is that his freedom was gained during an operation of Ukraine's Intelligence Service (SBU) paramilitary.

 

[Fledermaus]

Great to see liberation occurring so quickly.

Liberation by an invader.

How silly.