"Devastating for the aggressor": ECHR announces judgment in Ukraine v. Russia case on Crimea
Kyiv • UNN
The European Court of Human Rights announced the judgment in the Crimean case Ukraine v. Russia, which is the first time an international court has recognized the Russian Federation as responsible for a policy of large-scale and systematic violations of various human rights and freedoms in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today announced a judgment on the merits in the first interstate case Ukraine v. Russia (concerning Crimea), the ECHR reported. This decision is the first one in which the international court recognized the Russian Federation responsible for the policy of large-scale and systematic violations of various human rights and freedoms in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, said the Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights Margarita Sokorenko, UNN writes.
This is a devastating judgment of the ECHR for the aggressor! A few minutes ago, the ECHR announced the judgment on the merits in the first interstate case in the ECHR "Ukraine v. Russia (concerning Crimea)"! The ECtHR recognized that the Ukrainian government has proven the existence of systematic violations of our citizens since the beginning of Russia's occupation of Crimea in February 2014
According to her, "the ECHR found unanimously that we proved the existence of administrative practice on the part of Russia.
- Disappearances and lack of effective investigation in this regard under Article 2 of the Convention;
- Ill-treatment and unlawful detention under Articles 3 and 5 of the Convention;
- Illegal dissemination of Russian legislation, as a result of which courts in Crimea cannot be considered as established in accordance with the law under Article 6;
- Forced change of Ukrainian citizenship to Russian citizenship under Article 8 of the Convention;
- Systematic mass searches in violation of Article 8;
- Forced transfer of convicts to the territory of the Russian Federation in violation of Article 8;
- Attacks and harassment of religious leaders who do not belong to the ROC, and the seizure and confiscation of property in this regard, in violation of Article 9;
- Shutdown of non-Russian media, including Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar TV stations, constant harassment and attacks on journalists in violation of Article 10;
- Prohibition of peaceful assemblies and protests and attacks and persecution of their organizers in violation of Article 11 of the Convention;
- Expropriation of private property in violation of Article 1 of the First Protocol;
- Closing of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar classes in violation of Article 2 of the First Protocol;
- Violation of the right to freedom of movement between the occupied territory of Crimea and mainland Ukraine;
- Discrimination against Crimean Tatars;
- Violations of the rights of political prisoners, the impossibility of their return to Ukraine and their ill-treatment in the occupied Crimea and the territory of the Russian Federation.
Sokorenko pointed out that "in January 2021, with the decision on admissibility in the Crimean case, we (the ECHR, which issued the decision, and the government of Ukraine, which has constantly proved all the facts of the seizure of Crimea and human rights violations) demolished Russia's version of the "expression of will" and "legal accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation.
Today, on June 25, 2024, the decision essentially negates Russia's decades-long claims that human rights in Crimea are respected! This decision is the first in which an international court has recognized the Russian Federation as responsible for a policy of large-scale and systematic violations of various human rights and freedoms in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
The Commissioner also pointed out that "this decision is unique - a number of conclusions and violations under the Convention have been recognized by the ECHR for the first time in its practice (application of Russian legislation, illegal courts, forced change of citizenship)".
"This is an important stage and result on the way to bringing the aggressor to international legal responsibility! Let's keep working!" - she summarized.
