EU calls on Russia to let human rights defenders visit Crimea

The European Union calls on Russia to adhere to the international human rights standards in the occupied Crimea, to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violations of human rights, and to ensure unhindered access to the peninsula for the human rights defenders.

“We demand that all human rights violations, including torture, unjustified detention, disappearances, restrictions on freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and religion must be investigated and those responsible must be brought to justice. We call for full compliance with the international human rights standards in Crimea and unhindered access for human rights defenders throughout Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol," Permanent Representative of the European Union to the OSCE Ioannis Vrailas said at the event dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the occupation of Crimea and the human rights situation on the peninsula at the OSCE Headquarters in Vienna, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He noted that one should not forget about the context in which the event took place, in particular “the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, which is a clear violation of the international law, OSCE principles and commitments, as well as a direct challenge to the international security with serious consequences for the international legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all the states. "

“I would like to remind of the EU’s continued support for the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and also to confirm that we do not and will not recognize the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,” Vrailas said.

The European diplomat underscored that over the past five years the human rights situation in Crimea had worsened and the local residents had faced systematic restriction of fundamental freedoms - freedom of speech, religion, peaceful assembly and association. The serious deterioration of the situation has been recorded by various OSCE institutions and has been repeatedly discussed at the meetings of the Permanent Council in Vienna.

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