Council of Europe does not recognize Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea
The Council of Europe does not recognize Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea and condemns human rights violations on the peninsula.
As Censor.NET reports with reference to Ukrinform, this is stated in the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, adopted on the basis of the report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the human rights situation in Crimea.
"In a decision taken in light of a report by Council of Europe Secretary General Maria Peichinovych-Burych, the Committee of Ministers condemned human rights violations committed by the Russian occupiers against ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and other residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea. The Committee of Ministers has confirmed that it does not recognize the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation," the statement said.
The Committee of Ministers has expressed its deep concern that the Russian Federation has consistently refused to allow the Commissioner for Human Rights and other regional or international human rights monitoring bodies the opportunity to travel safely and unhindered to Crimea.
"During the temporary Russian occupation, the human rights situation in Crimea has deteriorated significantly.
Numerous and serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have not been promptly and effectively investigated, "the Council of Europe said.
Recognizing the vital importance of an international presence to prevent further deterioration. The Committee invited the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to take all necessary measures, in particular through dialogue with all stakeholders, to gain immediate and unhindered access by the Council of Europe bodies in Crimea.
The Committee once again strongly condemned Russia's unprovoked and unjustified armed aggression against Ukraine, which resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, forced millions of people to flee their homes and devastated the country. It called on Russia to withdraw its military forces and weapons from the territory of Ukraine and to engage constructively in peace talks aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
The Committee also called on the Russian authorities to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, to release all those illegally detained, and to immediately end human rights violations against Crimean residents.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe also called on Russia to repeal the decision to recognize the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people as an extremist organization and to ban its activities.
Russia also calls for safe, reliable and unimpeded access of international human rights organizations to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
The Council of Europe reportedly deprived Russia of membership in the Organization after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the organization approved a number of decisions in support of Ukraine, including the establishment of a tribunal to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
