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PACE condemns “grave human rights violations” committed against Crimean Tatars

Thorhildur Sunna Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC)
©Council of Europe

Reaffirming the non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea, the Assembly condemned the “grave violations of human rights” that have been committed against Crimean Tatars, including killings and enforced disappearances, “which moreover have not since been subject to an effective investigation”.

Adopting a resolution based on the report drawn up by Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), the parliamentarians called for investigations into “each alleged case of killing, abduction, forced disappearance, torture or inhuman or degrading treatment of Crimean Tatars and to apply appropriate sanctions to the perpetrators of any violations found”. Lawyers must be allowed to “carry out their work without hindrance”, while full respect for the freedoms of expression, association and assembly must be guaranteed, and the ban on Crimean Tatar media outlets lifted.

The Assembly urged the Russian authorities to cease applying Russian law in Crimea, including in the fields of terrorism and extremism, and, in conformity with international law, to apply the laws in force in Ukraine. It also urged them to put an end to transfers of detained persons from Crimea to the territory of the Russian Federation, and called for any person unlawfully detained or imprisoned due to the abusive application of Russian law in Crimea, including for political reasons, which is contrary to international law”, to be released.

Finally, the adopted text invites all relevant actors “to envisage directly involving the representatives of Crimean Tatars in international dialogue related to the situation of Crimean Tatars and of Crimea”. The Monitoring Committee should take into account in its future work the follow-up given to these recommendations by the Russian Federation.