Human Rights House Foundation statement
HRC57 – Item 10 – Interactive Dialogue – HC Ukraine
8 October 2024
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Thank you.
The human rights situation in Russian-occupied Crimea remains dire. Systemic repression allows the targeting of Crimean Tatars, civil society activists, and human rights defenders with increasing brutality and impunity. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and politically motivated prosecutions have become the norm.
Journalists, too, are silenced. Vladyslav Yesypenko, who courageously reported on the reality of life in Crimea, is currently serving six years in prison on fabricated charges and after being subjected to torture during his detention. His case illustrates the broader crackdown on independent media, where any dissenting voices are ruthlessly extinguished.
Beyond media freedom, our Ukrainian partners report that the occupying authorities have escalated their destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in Crimea. Such acts are not only violations of international law but attempts to erase Ukraine’s identity from the peninsula.
Despite restrictions on access, the international community cannot look away. We urge states to ensure these violations remain a priority in this Council.
We ask the High Commissioner’s office: Despite the restrictions imposed by the occupying authorities on access to Crimea, what innovative strategies can be adopted to amplify the work of Crimea-focused human rights organisations and enhance accountability for the ongoing serious human rights violations?
Thank you.
