In June 2017, the World Movement hosted an event on human rights in Crimea with Tetiana Pechonchyk, Head of the Board of the Human Rights Information Centre (HRIC); Olga Skrypnyk, Head of the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG); and members the international affairs community in Washington, DC. The event provided a firsthand update on the human rights situation in Crimea; underlined the need for continued international attention on Crimea; and discussed how CSOs document, verify, and disseminate information about human rights abuses in Crimea. 

Background: 

Since the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the human rights situation in Crimea has greatly deteriorated. The Russian Federation has imposed its laws and justice system on the region andhas installed bureaucrats to severely crackdown on civil society and other perceived political opponents.

Despite hopes raised by the Euromaidan movement and a decrease in the number of civilian causalities in Ukraine, the last two years have shown backsliding in many areas. As a report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine lamented, “the situation in the east of Ukraine remains volatile and may develop into a ‘frozen conflict’, creating a protracted environment of insecurity and instability.”

In Crimea, restrictions on public demonstrations, civil society organizations, and the media are routine. This situation is worsened by concerted efforts to prevent Ukrainians and international human rights monitors, journalists, and others from traveling to Crimea. Governments, international organizations, and human rights organizations must take steps to bear witness to the on-going tragedy in Crimea and do their best to put a stop to it.