European parliamentarians call on to guarantee accountability for human rights violations in the annexed Crimea and over the occupied territories of the Donbas

Members of the European Parliament denounced the human rights violations in the annexed Crimea and over the occupied territories of the Donbas, and called on to make answer those guilty of the crimes.

Following the exchange of views between the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Chair of the EP’s Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Association Committee, there was uttered a joint declaration made by the parties.

"We discussed a wide range of issues affecting the human rights situation and challenges in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. We expressed our firm condemnation of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol and the occupation of some regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, in breach of international law and of Russia’s commitments and obligations under its membership of international organizations,” stressed Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Dariusz Rosati, Chair of the EP’s Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Association Committee.

“We call on to make answer for those guilty of the crimes,” pointed the European parliamentarians out.

“We remain deeply concerned over the growing number of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories who have been arrested, sentenced and imprisoned by the Russian authorities, and we call for their immediate release,” they underscored later on.

The two politicians then said that they “are determined to enhance our inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation on Ukraine’s reforms related to human rights and linked to the Association Agreement, including in the fields of anti-corruption, minority rights, the situation of internally displaced persons, anti-discrimination, freedom of expression and media. We are convinced of the positive impact that our cooperation and dialogue with our Ukrainian counterparts can have on the consolidation and strengthening of Ukraine’s domestic institutions and oversight bodies, and on its accession to and effective participation in international human rights mechanisms. Parliaments as well as civil society organizations have a crucial role to play in monitoring human rights violations and overseeing the implementation of human rights commitments".

“We fully support the peaceful reintegration of these territories and call for accountability for serious human rights violations. We remain deeply concerned over the growing number of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories who have been arrested, sentenced and imprisoned by the Russian authorities, and we call for their immediate release,” they announced as a final point.

Hryhorii Nemyria, the Head of the Committee on Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, thanked to the European Parliament for its assistance and support in protection of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine.

It is noteworthy that it has been for the first time in the entire European Parliament’s history of contacts with parliamentary committees of the non-EU countries that such a meeting took place.

A short list of topics to have reportedly been discussed at the meeting:

Human rights and challenges in Ukrainian regions of the conflict

-responsibility for human right violations in the temporarily occupied territories,

-support of rights of the internally displaced persons,

-Ukrainian hostages, political prisoners and the illegally seized in the Russian Federation, in the occupied Crimea and the Donbas,

-human rights in the occupied Crimea and Sevastopol’, in the Donbas; the outlook for launching permanent international monitoring procedures,

-monitoring of women’s rights observance over the temporarily occupied territories.

Internal reforms, institutions and changes in legislation on human rights, non-discrimination and support of minority rights

-implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy of Ukraine,

-observance of minorities' rights in Ukraine, including their language rights; observance of the Ukrainian minorities’ rights in the EU countries,

-association and participation of Ukraine in international procedures for human rights protection,

-national institutions and regulatory authorities for human rights observance, including ombudsmanship,

-freedom of expression and the mass media.

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