Contents tagged with crimea

  • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The situation in Crimea remains critical

    During a UN Security Council meeting regarding compliance with human rights in the Crimea, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al-Hussein mentioned that the situation in the Crimea remains critical and requires constant monitoring by the international community, as stated by the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

    The restriction of civil and political rights of Crimean residents, the lack of freedom of expression, and the atmosphere of intolerance are of particular concern …

  • Putin visits Crimea to examine progress of Kerch Strait Bridge

    During a meeting in Crimea with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak and the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexey Ulyukaev,  Vladimir Putin demanded that those responsible for the delay in construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge from Russia to Crimea be properly dealt with, as reported by Dozhd. According to the Russian President, a specific person must be responsible for the results of work, so the Putin "does not have to keep calling phones all around the Government or …

  • Dzhemilev to ask UN to strengthen sanctions against Russia

    Ukrainian presidential envoy for Crimean Tatar Affairs, Mustafa Dzhemilev, is planning a trip to New York where he plans to make a speech at the UN Security Council. This was reported by his press service.

    In an interview with the Ukrainian newspaper Day, before the trip, Dzhemilev said that he intends to announce information about human rights violations in Crimea. He also plans to ask members of the UN to strengthen sanctions against Russia.

    "Every year, the UN Security Council holds a …

  • Russia carries out show of force along administrative border between Crimea and mainland Ukraine

    According to a spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, Oleg Slobodyan, Russian troops have carried out a show of force by transferring military equipment along the administrative border between Crimea and mainland Ukraine, as reported by Krym.Realii.

    As Slobodyan explained, border guard officers of the Berdyansk and Kherson squadrons noticed a movement of Russian military equipment within 1 kilometer of the administrative border.

    He stated that a column of seven Grad artillery …

  • The US urges Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine

    On the occasion of the second anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea, US State Department spokesman John Kirby issued a statement which reiterated the US's commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

    "The United States does not accept Russia's 'referendum' on March 16, 2014, and does not recognize an attempt of the annexation of Crimea, which violates the international law," a press release by the United States Foreign Service stated.

    Kirby stressed that since …

  • Canadian Foreign Minister: We will continue to support Ukraine in its struggles against Russia

    Canada, together with the international community, will support Ukraine in the fight for the return of Crimea, as stated by the Foreign Minister of Canada, Stephane Dion.

    "Canada, together with our international partners, supports Ukraine. We will continue working with our partners to put pressure on Russia to force it to adhere to international obligations regarding the respect for the human rights and Ukrainian sovereignty as well territorial integrity," Dion said as quoted by UKRINFORM. …

  • Ukrainian MFA: Ban of Crimean Tatar Mejlis is reminiscent of forced deportations in 1944

    According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign affairs, the attempts of the Russian-Crimean authorities to ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People is evidence that Russia is attempting to oust the Crimean Tatars from the occupied Peninsula, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    "We regard the plans for the banishment of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People on the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea to be a deliberate imposition by Moscow of a sentence on the presence of the Crimean Tatar people …

  • Dzhemilev: Turkey didn't impose sanctions against Russia until later in an attempt to protect Crimean Tatars

    The Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Mustafa Dzhemilev, stated in his interview with Radio Svoboda that Turkey joined the sanctions imposed against Russia for the annexation of Crimea only after the deterioration of their relationship with the Russian Federation. Prior to that, Turkey hadn’t joined the group of countries that impose sanctions against Russia.

    According to Dzhemilev, officials in Ankara believed the Turkish leader would be more powerful and better able to …

  • PACE is concerned over the possible ban of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis

    The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed serious concern over the possible banning of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars, Krym.Realii reported.

    “The Mejlis is an important tool for the representation and the emancipation of the Crimean Tatar people. It is absurd to label the Mejlis as an extremist organization just because they openly oppose Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea,” this was said by PACE co-rapporteurs, Axel Fischer and Jordi Xuclà.

    The PACE also …

  • Pyatt: Crimea has become a disaster area in regard to human rights

    The US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, stated that the annexation of Crimea and the retaliation against the Crimean Tatars has not fallen off the American diplomatic radar. “We aren’t going to forget about the situation with the Crimean Tatars. Crimea has become a human rights disaster area,” the Ambassador said in his interview with the ZIK Ukrainian TV Channel.

    Pyatt added that this issue is present in their constant dialogue with Russia. The US Ambassador to Ukraine reiterated that …