The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine took into account the third report of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “The human rights situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine”, which was made public on October 8, says statement Foreign Ministry. The diplomatic service noted that the key elements of the report is Gutteres’ call to the Russian Federation to comply with all its obligations in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights.
“First of all, we are talking about ending torture, illegal arrests, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, ensuring freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, lifting the ban of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, etc. Against the background of attacks against the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea, the appeal of the General UN Secretary-General to ensure freedom of religion and belief without any discrimination or the introduction of artificial regulatory barriers, “- said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry noted that the Russian Federation is still grossly violating international law when, under the pretext of “fighting extremism and terrorism”, it uses military courts on Russian territory to illegally convict Ukrainians. In addition, cases of movement of illegally detained citizens of Ukraine from the annexed Crimea to the Russian Federation are recorded. At the same time, relatives are not even informed about the whereabouts of illegally detained Ukrainians. Also, the Russian Federation violates the rights of illegally detained citizens of Ukraine to consular access as a result of the forced change of citizenship.
“In the context of the policy that is purposefully carried out by the Russian occupation authorities to change the demographic composition of the Crimean peninsula, the report documents the destruction of private buildings of the Crimean Tatars as an example of forced eviction. Particular attention is drawn to the increase in the number of internally displaced persons from the temporarily occupied Crimea ,” the diplomatic department noted …
The Foreign Ministry stated that despite the requirements of the UN General Assembly Resolution 74/168 and numerous appeals of the international community, Russia once again ignored the UN General Assembly mandate and did not provide access to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula.
“We call on the international community to respond to the continuing violations by the occupying state of international law in the occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular by increasing political, diplomatic and sanctions pressure,” the Foreign Ministry said.
On the eve, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres published a new report on the situation in the annexed by Russia Crimea. According to the first deputy head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Emine Dzhaparova, the new report “without unnecessary diplomatic euphemisms and contains specific requirements” to the occupier.
Recall last December UN General Assembly adopts a resolution on the protection of human rights in the annexed Crimea … The document was supported by 65 countries, 23 were against, 83 abstained.
The resolution condemns Russia’s attempts to change the demographic situation on the peninsula by bringing in Russians and forcing local residents to leave; repressions against all those who disagree with the annexation of Crimea; illegal conscription of Crimeans to the Russian army .
Russia was called upon to end the persecution and release those detained for expressing their opinions, including at the beginning of the occupation, and ensure their safe return to their homeland.
The international community is urged to continue to expose Russia’s human rights violations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.
