“Dark” judges. A list of judges who illegally imprison Ukrainian citizens in Crimea is published

Crimean Human Rights Group published a list of judges of the Crimea, who made decisions to illegally imprison Ukrainian citizens.

The list contains the names of judges who deprived Ukrainian citizens of their freedom by violating their right to a fair trial and effective means of legal defense, with obvious falsification of evidence and / or other illegal methods of investigation and, in particular, by using tortures. The adoption of such decisions was due to political motives and prejudiced attitude of judges towards citizens of Ukraine on political or religious convictions, or due to freedom of speech, due to freedom of peaceful assemblies and associations.

Human Rights Information Centre publishes these lists completely.

FROM PROTECTION OF RIGHTS TO REINFORCEMENT OF RIGHTS

We asked Olga Skrypnyk, Coordinator of the Crimean Human Rights Group, to comment on these lists:

– What is the purpose of these lists?

Firstly, it is the continuation of documenting cases related to political motives. Unfortunately, the number of such cases only increases. And this list of judges reflects only the main cases, where we show the scale of political persecution. Not only these judges have made certain decisions, but they are still acting and continue to make illegal decisions.

Secondly, it is very important to know not only what is happening, but who does it. This is the issue of documenting names. Therefore, we indicated citizenship in our list. Why? If we are talking about Ukrainian citizens, then these are only instruments of influence. For example, the opening of criminal proceedings. And such a process has already begun. Partially such actions are performed by Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. We cooperate with them. Therefore, the information is available to human rights organizations, is used to bring charges against these individuals.

Another issue, which is more complicated, is the issue of Russian citizens. There are twenty judges with Russian citizenship. It is important to indicate that both Ukrainian citizens and Russian citizens adopt illegal judicial decisions.

This is a confirmation of violation of the Rome Statute and the Geneva Convention. This confirms that Russia is moving its employees to the territory of Crimea, which is prohibited by the Geneva Convention. In addition, we see that many judges, who are Russian citizens, are involved in rendering these illegal decisions on deprivation of freedom. Therefore, if the opening of criminal proceedings against Russian citizens is a controversial issue, it is entirely possible to apply sanctions against them.

– How do you plan to secure sanctions against judges?

Ukraine itself can impose sanctions against these individuals. At least to impose restrictions on access to Ukraine, the issue of property, accounts.

These lists of judges are also a matter of international advocacy. In general, many European and American partners are ready to take steps to introduce and extend certain sanctions.

We, together with a number of human rights organizations, in particular, the Human Rights Information Centre, the Center for Civil Liberties, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and others, are creating the so-called Sentsov-Kolchenko or Sentsov-Chiygoz list. It includes people who are personally involved in the illegal imprisonment of Ukrainian citizens. The list not only includes judges, but also prosecturors, FSB officers…

It is one thing when we say that people were deprived of freedom and quite another when we show how many people are involved in this.

This is also an additional influence on the international community, so that the issue of Crimea remained featured on the agenda.

– Who will receive these lists?

I can not tell you everything. However, part of the materials, which are useful for investigation of cases of illegal deprivation of freedom, will be used to protect our citizens in international instances. As for judges and other persons involved in human rights violations, these materials will undoubtedly transferred and used by law enforcement agencies of Ukraine.

– Are those people who are on the list notified?

All our activities are public. The results of monitoring of human rights violations in the Crimea are always public, except in certain cases, when it may harm certain people. Therefore, these lists are not a secret for the FSB and, obviously, mentioned judges.

REFERENCE. The Human Rights Information Centre has recently released a list of “freedom of expression stranglers”.

Tetyana Pechonchyk, Chair of the Board of the Human Rights Information Centre: “We, human rights defenders, are moving from passive to active actions. Not only we will focus the attention on violations, but will also focus on the violators. We are moving from protection of human rights to reinforcement of human rights.

In the last three years, we have recorded 461 cases of freedom of speech and freedom of expression violations. According to the estimates of many international organizations, including Freedom House, Crimea is one of the territories of the world with the worst freedom of speech level, the worst place for journalism. It is important for our organization not only to record certain violations of journalists’ rights, but also to investigate who was involved in these violations. And we have established a list of stranglers of freedom of speech in the Crimea, which currently contains 60 people. They are both organizers who bear political responsibility, as well as perpetrators: participants of the so-called “Crimean self-defense”, who attacked journalists, law enforcers, FSB officers, who falsified cases against media workers, bloggers, against people who re-blogged posts on social networks. Currently, our task is to promote this list in order to establish personal sanctions against people, who are enemies of freedom of speech in the Crimea”.

– Olga, what is next?

The lists of judges are not so much a matter of revenge. This is the reason for starting a very important discussion in Ukraine. This is a matter of responsibility and the issue of a clear legal assessment on the part of Ukraine of what is happening in the Crimea. This is extremely important for the integration of the Crimea.

These territories will be reclaimed. International law will triumph. And then a question will arise, how can people continue living in the Crimea? Should they flee from the Crimea, because they will be afraid of revenge? Or on the contrary – the persons involved in the violations will be clearly identified and will be held accountable.

Now many feel like they are in the limbo. For, example, she is a teacher and she does not what awaits her. And the Russian media say that they will shoot you.

He is a doctor. He issues medical certificates of the Russian model. And the Russian media say that they will shoot you. There are people who went to a referendum, and the Russian media say that they will be shot.

But in reality it is different. There are different levels of responsibility. There is a difference between the one who organized the referendum and the grandmother, who was deceived by the Russian media, and she came to a referendum. Why should she be afraid of being sent to prison?

It is important to bring this information to those who stayed in the Crimea. This will help us to maintain the level of Ukrainian thought there. It also encourages Ukrainians, who are forced to stay they.

On the other hand, people involved in these crimes should know that we will not forget this and justice awaits them.

Ukraine must give such answers today. Not when the territory will be liberated, but today, when people’s opinion is formed in the Crimea and when the attitude towards the Ukrainian authorities and Ukrainian society as a whole is formed. Moreover, thanks to this we can talk with Ukrainian society that not all people in the Crimea are violators. There are different people – there are really those who have betrayed and continue to commit crimes. And there are people who have become hostages of circumstances. And there are many such. And there are quite a lot of such people.

People in Crimea are genuinely scared. They need Ukraine to answer about their future.