UN General Assembly adopts resolution on human rights in Crimea
The UN General Assembly at a plenary meeting on December 18 adopted the resolution "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine."
In particular, 65 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 23 countries voted against, and 83 abstained, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.
The resolution condemns all attempts by the Russian Federation to legitimize or normalize its attempted annexation of Crimea, including the automatic imposition of Russian citizenship, illegal election campaigns and change of the demographic structure of the population of Crimea.
The resolution calls upon the Russian Federation to release all unlawfully detained Ukrainian citizens and to ensure their safe return to Ukraine, and strongly condemns mass detentions on terrorism grounds and other forms of repressions against human rights defenders, including against activists of the Crimean Solidarity civic initiative.
The document also calls upon Member States to continue advocacy for the respect of human rights, including by condemning human rights violations and abuses committed in Crimea at bilateral and multilateral forums.
The resolution requests the Secretary-General to take all steps necessary to ensure the full and effective coordination of all United Nations bodies with regard to the implementation of the present resolution.
In the document, the term "aggression" is proposed for the first time to assess the situation in Crimea in accordance with the 1974 Definition of Aggression resolution. The document, in particular, states that the aggression is the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state. However, no acquisition of territory or special advantage resulting from aggression is legal and can be declared legal.
This is the fourth resolution on human rights violations in the occupied Crimea.
Earlier, the UN General Assembly adopted three resolutions on human rights violations in Crimea — in 2016, 2017 and 2018 — however Russia ignored their implementation.
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