Review of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions
December 2020
9
detentions
8
cases of coerced membership in
"civil society" organizations and
involving children in propaganda
33
declarations of
ownerless property
In December 2020, new facts of human rights violations were discovered in the parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation: illegal detentions and restrictions on the freedom of movement of civilians, creation of a parallel legal system, involvement of minors in propaganda, violation of property rights. Unfortunately, these human rights violations have become the "norm" for residents of the territories of the so-called “people's republics”.
1
Unlawful Arrests, Detentions and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement On 14 December 2020, near the village of Frunze in the Luhansk region, the so-called “LPR police” detained a serviceman of the 14th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Viktorovich Tarasyuk. Later it became known that the soldier had died while in captivity.
At 10 am on 17 December, at the “Schastya” checkpoint in the Luhansk region, the "Evacuation 200" group returned the body of this soldier to the unoccupied territory. The deceased was identified in the presence of the JCCC and OSCE by representatives of the military unit from which he had disappeared. The body of the deceased was handed over to representatives of the National Police for investigation, Vilne Radio reports.
According to the conclusions of the forensic medical examination, the
soldier died as a result of strangulation. The category of death was identified as violent.
A serviceman of the 14th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Okeksandr Pupko, was captured on 17 December 2020 near the occupied Slovyanoserbsk.
On
23
December
2020,
the
soldier
was
transferred
to
the
government-controlled territory. The liberation took place on the bridge over the Siverskyi Donets river in the Schastya district with the participation of OSCE observers.
On 22 December 2020, the so-called “Supreme Court of the LPR” sentenced Taras Vitalievich Oleksiyenko, a serviceman of the “People's Militia of the LPR” to 17 years in prison.
The message also says that Taras Oleksiyenko is from the Kiev region. From 2015 to 2017 he was in the Kyiv pre-trial detention center, where he allegedly agreed to cooperate with the "foreign special service". Then Oleksiyenko was included in the list of detained persons "under the guise of a political prisoner".
2 December 2020
On December 2017, as part of an exchange, he entered the territory of the Separate Districts of the Luhansk region (ORLO). “On assignment of SBU officers Oleksiyenko got a job in the ranks of the People's Militia of the LPR, where he collected and transmitted information about the personnel and the movement of military equipment.”
The
so-called
“court
of
the
LPR”
found
Taras
Oleksiyenko
guilty
of
“committing these crimes, and he was sentenced for multiple offence to imprisonment for a term of 17 years with a fine of 17 times the minimum wage.”
On the same day, the so-called “court of the DPR” found Serhiy Viktorovich Ponomarenko guilty under the article “espionage” and sentenced him to 12 years in a strict regime correctional penal colony.
In the photo: Serhiy Ponomarenko.
On 28 December 2020, the so-called "Ministry of State Security of the DPR" once again detained the blogger Roman Manekin. Now they are checking the possibility of him working for the Ukrainian special services. The reason for this was information published on the internet about Manekin’s alleged cooperation with the Ukrainian journalist and former prisoner of the DPR Stanislav Aseyev, - Novosti Donbasa reports.
On the same day, the “DPR” security forces detained the director of the “Republican
Traumatology
Center”
(former
Donetsk
Regional
Traumatology Hospital) Oleksander Kravchenko. He is accused of “the misuse of public funds”.
The
head
of
the
anesthesiology
department
Olga
Yudina
was
also
detained, according to Novosti Donbasa.
3 December 2020
Compulsory membership in "civil society" organizations and
2
participation in "patriotic" and "social" actions of the "LPR" and "DPR". Involving children in propaganda
In the parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, anti-Ukrainian propaganda is being conducted under
the
guise
adolescents,
and
of
"military-patriotic
young
people,
education"
involving
them
among
into
children,
membership
in
"civil society" organizations. Employees of state financed enterprises under
the
so-called
"external
management",
do
not
have
the
opportunity to refuse to participate in "civil society" organizations, as they risk being subverted to serious pressure and persecution. These actions
by
the
representatives
of
the
occupation
administrations
are
qualified as a violation of the freedom of association.
On 2 and 3 December 2020, actions were held in the Separate Districts of the Luhansk region (ORLO) timed to coincide with the “Day of the Unknown Soldier”, which has been celebrated in Russia every year since 2014.
In Bryanka, the event was held at the memorial “To our Compatriots who have
Fallen
for
the
Motherland...”
as
part
of
the
project
“We
Remember!” by the so-called social movement “Peace to the Luhansk region”.
The event was attended by the coordinator of the project “Caring for the Veterans” Lyudmila Gerasimova, the coordinator of the project “Young Guard”
Andrey
Tishchenko,
and
members
of
the
so-called
social
movement “Peace to the Luhansk region”.
4 December 2020
In Luhansk, “deputies” and young members of the so-called social movement “Peace to the Luhansk region” laid flowers at the monument “To the Russian volunteers” in the Luhansk park named after the Heroes of the “Young Guard”.
5
December 2020
In Sorokino (former Krasnodon), the head of the executive committee of the Krasnodon territorial branch of the so-called social movement “Peace to the Luhansk region” Volodymyr Shavlai, the “deputy of the People's Council of the LPR” Ivan Sanayev, activists of the “Young Guard” project, and schoolchildren laid flowers at the “Victory” monument.
In Lutuhyno, flowers were laid at the mass grave in the city park by the so-called “head of the district administration” Yevgen Bondar, the so-called “deputies of the People's Council of the LPR” Nelly Zadiraka and Andriy Tambovtsev, by members of civil society organizations, employees of enterprises, institutions, organizations and by residents of the city.
6 December 2020
In Rovenki, the event was attended by representatives of the “city authorities”, cultural institutions, the city b ranch of the motorcycle club “Night Wolves. Donbas” and the youth.
7
December 2020
In Kadiivka (former Stakhanov), a similar event was held in the History and Art Museum as part of the project “We Remember!” on the initiative of the Stakhanov territorial branch of the so-called social movement “Peace to the Luhansk region”.
On 19 December 2020, the “activists” of the “Volunteer” project of the so-called social movement “Peace to the Luhansk region” held the action “Iron Felix” in Luhansk. The action was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the creation of the Russian National Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counterrevolution and Sabotage.
8 December 2020
9 December 2020
As part of the action, the “LPR deputy” Oleh Popov laid flowers together with school-aged children at the monument to Felix Dzerzhinskiy in the city center. Afterwards the instructors of the project “Volunteer”, led by its coordinator Oleksiy Kovalev, conducted the sports quest “SMERSH” in the forest belt.
On 25 December 2020, a rally was held in Luhansk, dedicated to the “41st anniversary of the entry of a limited contingent of Soviet troops into the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan”.
The event was attended by the head of the city administration Manolis Pilavov, the chairman of the civic organization “Union of Afghan Veterans of the Luhansk region” Serhiy Shonin, soldiers-internationalists, relatives of the deceased “Afghans”, leaders of the city administration, activists of the
“Public
Chamber
of
the
LPR”
and
other
civic
and
veterans’
organizations of the republic. They laid flowers at the monument to those killed in Afghanistan and honored their memory with a minute of silence.
10 December 2020
The so-called “military-patriotic movement” “Young Guard – Yunarmiya” has more than 1.5 thousand members. This was announced by the “head of the People's Militia of the LPR” Yan Leshchenko.
11 December 2020
“In the outgoing year, the ranks of the civic organization “Military-patriotic movement “Young Guard – Yunarmia” of the Luhansk People's Republic were actively replenished with new members. Today the movement has more than 1,500 people,” he said.
Leshchenko said that Yunarmia members regularly visit units of the “LPR” illegal armed formations, get acquainted with the everyday life of the members
of
the
illegal
armed
formations
as
well
as
participate
in
celebrations held in the Russian Federation.
Creation of a parallel legal system, bar, notaries, and
3
courts
In the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the occupation administrations of the Russian Federation and the media under their control continue to inform local residents and the world community about the activities of their “state bodies”. We are noting that
these
activities
have
no
legal
force
and
are
aimed
only
at
demonstrating the so-called “statehood” of the “republics”.
On 25 December 2020, during a plenary session, the deputies of the so-called
“People's
Council
of
the
LPR”
considered
in
the
first
and
second readings and adopted the law “On persons subject to political persecution by the state of Ukraine”.
“The
law
envisages
at
the
legislative
level
to
condemn
the
mass
persecution of persons by Ukraine on the basis of political and religious convictions, national and other grounds as incompatible with the idea of law and justice, to provide an effective mechanism for guarantees of social protection, their rights and freedoms, to determine the legal and organizational principles of state policy regarding persons subjected to political
persecution
by
the
state
of
Ukraine”,
-
said
the
so-called
“Deputy Prosecutor General of the LPR” Maksim Obukhov.
Also, the laws "On perpetuating the memory of those killed in the defense of the Fatherland" and "On the state language of the Luhansk People's Republic" were adopted.
“The adoption of the law will help strengthen the integration processes between the Luhansk People's Republic and the Russian Federation, protect and support the Russian language as the state language of the LPR, increase and enrich the spiritual culture of the state,” said the representative of the “head of the LPR in parliament”.
The law “On Amendments to the Law of the Luhansk People's Republic” On mobilization training and mobilization in the Luhansk People's Republic” was also adopted.
“Clauses 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Article 11 and Parts 1 and 2 of Article 20 of the Law” On Mobilization Training and Mobilization in the Luhansk
12 December 2020
People's Republic” are supplemented with the concept of “State Security Authority of the Luhansk People's Republic” similarly with Part 1 of Article 8 of the law “On military duty and military service”.
In addition, the law “On Amendments to Articles 44 and 106 of the Law of the Luhansk People's Republic” “On Education” was adopted.
The “deputy” Oleh Koval said that the draft law was developed “in order to streamline the legislative framework in terms of ensuring the admission of students to the implementation of educational activities”.
Koval added that, in addition, “Article 106 of the law “On Education” was supplemented with a provision according to which the requirement of Part 1 of Article 44 on the availability of secondary vocational or higher education does not apply to teachers employed before the entry into force of the law, who effectively carry out professional pedagogical activity and who are recognized by the certification commission as appropriate to the position held”.
“These legal norms will allow us to retain the teaching staff that was formed after 2014 and avoid the reduction of 461 teachers who fill positions in the educational institutions without proper education, but who have proven their worth and professionalism in the process of practical work”.
4
Violation of property rights In December 2020, the process of the so-called "nationalization" of enterprises that previously operated under Ukrainian jurisdiction or belonged to Ukrainian citizens residing in Ukrainian-controlled territories since the beginning of the conflict, continues in the parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. In our opinion, the following facts should be qualified as violations of property rights. It should be noted that these violations are systemic and widespread in the occupied regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
The so-called “DPR State Property Fund” did not publish any new notices on the lease of ownerless real estate in December 2020.
●
In December 2020, the so-called "state committee of taxes and duties" in “LPR” published 33 announcements about the discovery of various ownerless properties.
●
Among the property declared ownerless are:
● property of legal entities: a building complex, a manufacturing base building, a four-storey non-residential brick building, a part of a
13 December 2020
building with a with a basement, a grocery and non-food store (sandwich panels),
a
section
of
a
connecting
railway
track
of
Korovai
OJSC,
a
dead-end loading and unloading railway track, a transformer, mobile communication equipment, a forklift, cars, the back of a trick and a trailer, internet provider equipment, medical equipment, volumetric light indicators,
lighting
poles,
lightning
rods,
searchlights,
refrigerated
display cases, furniture, office equipment, computers and accessories, powder fire extinguisher.
●
property of natural persons: cars, air conditioners, split systems,
safes,
power
tools,
office
furniture,
boilers,
refrigerators,
furniture,
household items, textile, computer equipment, household equipment, tobacco products.
COVID-19 in the separate districts of Donetsk and
5
Luhansk regions
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has no data on the real situation with COVID-19 in the non-government controlled territories of Donbass and in occupied Crimea.
According number
of
to
statistics
published
registered
and
by
confirmed
the
so-called
cases
of
“DPR”,
COVID-19
the as
total
of
29
December 2020 was 14,671. 8506 people have recovered, and 1317 have died.
In the so-called “LPR”, according to their statistics, as of 29 December 2020, 2059 cases of COVID-19 were registered, 1730 were discharged from hospitals, and 172 have died.
There are no free media on the territory of Separate Districts of Donetsk and
Luhansk
regions
(ORDLO),
and
we
can
only
judge
about
the
epidemic-related problems by messages and comments on social media, as well as by indirect indicators.
On
1
December
2020,
the
“LPR”
Extraordinary
Sanitary
and
Anti-Epidemic Commission allowed full-time and remote learning for all classes of secondary schools.
On 22 December 2020, the self-proclaimed “head of the DPR” Denis Pushilin authorized the celebration of children's New Year's parties in educational and cultural institutions. The events will take place without the
participation
of
parents.
The
corresponding
order
No.
476
is
published on the “head’s” website.
The
so-called
Minister
of
Health
of
the
“LPR”
Natalia
Pashchenko
announced on 23 December 2020 that the republic's pharmacies have sufficient amounts of antiviral and antibacterial drugs for the treatment and prevention of acute respiratory viral infections.
14 December 2020
Due to the increase in the incidence of COVID-19 among children, the Emergency
Sanitary
and
Anti-
Epidemiological
Commission
of
the
so-called “LPR” banned indoor entertainment events on 23 December 2020.
“To the state executive bodies of the Luhansk People's Republic, to the heads
of
city
and
district
administrations
of
the
Luhansk
People's
Republic, due to the increase in the incidence of COVID-19 among the children, the following should be temporarily suspended:
●
conducting leisure, entertainment, cultural, physical culture, sports,
exhibition, educational, advertising activities and other similar events with in-person presence of citizens, as well as the provision of relevant services, including in shopping and entertainment centers, in amusement parks and other places of mass gatherings.
●
citizens’ visits of buildings, facilities, structures (premises in them),
intended
mainly
for
carrying
out
these
events
(rendering
services),
including theaters, circus, cinemas, ice arenas (skating rinks) in closed rooms, other entertainment and leisure halls”. The measure is valid from 26 December until further notice.
And
on
26
December
2020,
the
Emergency
Sanitary
and
Anti-
Epidemiological Commission under the so-called “Government of the LPR” in connection with the abolition of the curfew for the New Year and Christmas
holidays,
restrictions on
weakened
a
number
of
previously
imposed
entertainment in enclosed premises.
In particular, it was decided “to cancel the restrictions established by paragraph 1 of the decision of the Protocol of the Emergency Sanitary and Anti-Epidemic Commission under the Government of the Luhansk People's Republic No. 63/2020 dated 23 December 23 2020”.
15 December 2020