16 June 2014
Key talking points of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Valeriya LUTKOVSKA The focus of our today’s discussion is concentrated on the events between February 2014 and the present. From the first day of conflict escalation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and SouthEastern regions of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights has been fully involved in monitoring of human rights situation on the mentioned territories. One of the main reasons for occupation of Crimea, as positioned by the Russian Federation in a public discourse was an alleged violation of the rights of a Russian-speaking population. However, the Commissioner for Human Rights hasn’t received any complaints on the violation of the rights (discrimination) of Russian-speaking population in Crimea, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Donetsk or other regions of Ukraine. Contact of Ukrainian state authorities with Ukrainian citizens after the occupation has been hindered or discontinued. Consequently, human rights of Ukrainian citizens (to basic administrative services, vote, citizenship and residency, medical care, peaceful assembly etc.) are jeopardized and violated. In general, we have explicit evidences that authorities of the Russian Federation in the territory of the Crimea violate a number of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the person and the indigenous people, fixed in international law, in particular, in the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous people. The situation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions continues to remain critical leading to armed engagements between the Ukrainian military forces and the combatants. According to official information of the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine during the AntiTerroristic Operation a number of deceased persons more then 250, including 150 militaries and 2 children. During a meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian Ombudsmen on 13 June 2014 in Kharkiv, representatives of Ukrainian and Russian human rights organizations delivered an address on unconditional release of these persons as well as unconditional respect for human rights. As a result of this meeting, human rights defenders of the two countries agreed to establish a joint initiative of human rights organizations with the aim of monitoring and ensuring observance of human rights in the conflict zone. This initiative will be supported by the Ombudsmen of both countries within their competences foreseen by law. www.ombudsman.gov.ua www.facebook.com/ombudsmanUA omb@ombudsman.gov.ua +380 44 253 89 22