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On the 11th anniversary of Crimea’s Resistance to the Russian Federation’s unlawful occupation, Human Rights House Crimea, its member organisations, and the Human Rights House Foundation reaffirm their strong commitment to protecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the dignity of all individuals in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.

In February 2025, Ukraine marks three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion and eleven years in total of armed Russian aggression against the country starting with the annexation of Crimea, sparking an “avalanche of atrocities” and human rights violations. In this interview with HRHF, Ukrainian human rights defender Tetiana Pechonchyk, discusses the potential escalation of the war, Ukrainian civil society’s current human rights focuses, the impact of disrupted US support for Ukraine, and how it could strengthen China’s influence in the region, among other pressing issues.

Aleksandra Skochilenko is a Russian anti-war musician, artist and campaigner. Skochilenko came to prominence during protests following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Skochilenko was detained in April 2022 for distributing anti-war messages in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. She was held as a political prisoner by the Russian authorities until her release on 1 August 2024 as part of an international prisoner exchange. She now lives in exile.

Liubov Vinogradova (1952 – 2024), a Russian human rights defender and medical psychologist, passed away in May 2024. Vinogradova was the Executive Director of the Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia (IPA) from 1989 until her passing, working to expose and end the practice of punitive psychiatry in Russia.

On 25 September 2024, Human Rights House Foundation hosted “Human Rights Situation in the Russian Federation”, a civil society side event at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

On 10 July 2024, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, welcoming the release of Nariman Dzhelal, repeating calls for the release of Server Mustafayev, and raising concerns about the situation for forced transfers of Ukrainian civilians within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to the Russian Federation.

Russian and international human rights organisations, including Human Rights House Foundation, condemn Moscow’s Golovinsky District Court’s sentencing today of Oleg Orlov, co-chair of Human Rights Defense Center Memorial, to 2 years and 6 months in prison on politically motivated charges of “repeatedly discrediting” Russia’s armed forces.

On 26 February Ukraine marks the Day of Resistance to Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. Ten years ago on that day thousands of Crimean activists gathered outside the Crimean Parliament to show resistance against Russian occupation and in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This resistance still continues today in different forms. In this interview, HRHF asked four prominent Crimean human rights defenders and representatives of Human Rights House Crimea member organisations, to reflect on the situation in Crimea over the past decade and share their perspectives about the future.

On the 10th anniversary of the Russian occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Human Rights House Crimea, alongside its member organisations, and Human Rights House Foundation, reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the rights and freedoms of the people of the temporarily occupied Crimea. We demand justice and accountability for the egregious violations of human rights that have transpired since 2014 and have intensified since February 2022.