Human rights defenders ask the EU to appoint a special representative for the Crimea

The coalition of Ukrainian human rights organizations voiced recommendations to the leadership of Ukraine and the leaders of the European Union regarding the steps to de-occupation of Crimea and ensuring human rights on the peninsula.

As reported by Ukrinform, this stated by Alim Aliyev, co-founder of the public initiative Crimea SOS, in Brussels on the sidelines of the international seminar “Human Rights in Ukraine: Key Challenges and Achievements”.

“The presence of representative from the European Union in Crimea and occupied territories is essential. A representative who will promote the issue of de-occupation of the peninsula and the protection of human rights”, – said the representative of the coalition of Ukrainian human rights organizations.

Aliyev also noted the importance of introducing an international format for negotiations on the Crimea, which has not yet been established.

Further, according to him, it is necessary to expand personal sanctions against those who are involved in the occupation of the Crimea.

“Currently, there are sanctions against the highest ranks of the Russian Federation, but there are no restrictive measures against many others who enshrined annexation and violated human rights on the peninsula”, – Aliyev explained.

He also noted the need to monitor the existing sectoral economic sanctions, citing an example of the activities of one of the famous European trade network on the territory of the occupied Crimea.

“Next, an important point is the deployment of permanent missions of human rights on the peninsula. We are currently observing a large number of human rights violations in the Crimea. There are a lot of violations, but there is no complete picture”, – said Aliyev.

While speaking about the second part of the recommendation, which is addressed to the leadership of Ukraine, the public activist named the need to develop a strategy for de-occupation of the Crimea.

“We are also talking about the state program to support the families of Crimea political prisoners killed and missing on the peninsula”, – said Aliyev.

In addition, it is recommended to simplify the procedures for entry from Ukraine to the Crimea for foreign journalists, human rights defenders and lawyers.

Human rights defenders also support the abolition of the relevant resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Bank of Ukraine, which states that the residents of Crimea are not residents of Ukraine.

“It is important to ensure the linguistic and educational rights of our citizens in the Crimea. Due to the fact that Russia suppresses Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar contexts and builds up Russian context in the occupied territory”, – said Aliyev.