According to the Chairperson of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, it could be a joint international mission of UN, Council of Europe, and OSCE, which, however, should be based on the principles of territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

"This will help avoid further more dramatic developments. We are afraid of a hard scenario in Crimea, in which the occupation authorities may involve Crimeans," added Mr. Chubarov.

 

In her turn, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska noted that the events in eastern Ukraine will not distract the world from Crimea's problems and will not let to forget that Crimea is Ukraine.

 

She stressed that the Russian legislation, which is now being introduced in Crimea, is oppressive to many rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association.

 

According to Ms. Lutkovska, it refers to the introduction of the ban on the Crimean Tatars peaceful gatherings and rallies: banning the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Deportation, the Crimean Tatar Flag Day, and the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, bringing members of marches against the entry ban to Crimea for Mustafa Dzhemilev to administrative responsibility, etc.

 

In addition, as Ombudsperson noted, the number of NGOs has dramatically reduced in Crimea. Some of them has moved to continental Ukraine and changed its legal address. Most human rights organizations and pro-Ukrainian organizations had to cease their operations.

 

During the special event, the Chairperson of the Center for Civic Education "Almenda" Olha Skrypnyk and the Chairperson of the Board of the Center for Civil Liberties Olexandra Matviichuk spoke of the violations of human rights in the occupied territory of Crimea and Donbas.

 

Missions of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Belarus, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Belgium, the USA, Lithuania, the UK, Austria, and Russia took part in the special event "Situation of human rights in Ukraine", organized by UNDP in Ukraine. Also, representatives of the Council of Europe were there.

 

The event took place during the 113th session of the UN Committee on Human Rights held in Geneva from 16 March to 2 April. During the session, the Russian Federation was to answer questions about the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966. Questions from the Committee were presented to Russia in August 2014, the government's response was prepared in December.

 

A number of questions from the Committee on Human Rights to Russia were on Crimea. Moreover, a coalition of 8 Ukrainian NGOs prepared an alternative report on the human rights situation in Crimea, which was submitted to the UN Committee.

 

Last time, a delegation of the Russian Federation reported to the UN Committee on Human Rights in 2009.