What changed

B100233/2024

B100229/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on 11th year of the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and the deteriorating human rights situation in occupied Crimea, notably the cases of Iryna Danylovych, Tofik Abdulhaziiev and Amet Suleymanov

The European Parliament,

− having regard to its previous resolutions on Crimea,

 having regard to rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereaswhereas, thesince Russianthe Federationoccupation violatedand internationalannexation lawof byCrimea encroachingin on2014, thehuman territorialrights integrity,have independencerapidly anddeteriorated, sovereigntywith ofrestrictions Ukraineon withfundamental thefreedoms, occupationviolations of theindigenous Autonomousrights, Republicmobilisation ofinto Crimeathe andRussian thearmy, Cityand ofimposition Sevastopolof inRussian 2014;passports;

B. whereas Crimeans continue to experience severe human rights violations, unlawful conscriptions to the Russian army, forced passportisation, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, the absence of freedom of opinion, assembly, association, religion and forced alteration of the demographic composition of the peninsula;

B. whereas Russia has forced Tatars and Ukrainians to leave Crimea while resettling up to 800.000 Russians;

C. whereas the Russian Federation is implementing a deliberate policy aimed at forcibly altering the demographic composition of Crimea, primarily along ethnic lines, which constitutes a war crime under international law;

C. whereas at least 16.000 Ukrainian civilians remain in Russian captivity;

D. whereas there are over 218 Crimean political prisoners in Russia, 133 of them are Crimean Tatars, 67 political prisoners experience severe health problems, many require immediate medical assistance;

D. whereas mass detentions on charges of “terrorism,” “extremism,”, “treason,” and “discrediting the Russian army” suppress dissent without fair trials, with over 218 Crimean political prisoners, including 132 Crimean Tatars, many requiring urgent medical care, and at least 65 disappearances;

E. whereas Iryna Danylovych a Crimean journalist and human rights defender was abducted in 2022, accused of possessing explosives and subsequently sentenced to 6 years and 11 months of imprisonment; whereas Tofik Abdulhaziiev, NGO activist, was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in a maximum security prison on trumped up charges, and since 2023 he is serving his sentence in a prison in Russia some 2700 km away from Crimea; whereas Amet Suleymanov is a citizen journalist who in 2021 was sentenced to 12 years of prison;

E. whereas Iryna Danylovych, a human rights defender, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison and suffers severe health deterioration due to inhumane conditions;

1. Demands that the Russian Federation immediately ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine, the first step of which was the occupation of Crimea, and unconditionally withdraws all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and end all violations of human rights therein;

F. whereas Tofik Abdulhaziiev, a Crimean Tatar human rights defender, serving 12 years in a Russian prison, remains detained despite health conditions qualifying him for release;

2. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of Iryna Danylovych, Tofik Abdulhaziiev and Amet Suleymanov and other political prisoners; calls for their serious medical conditions to be properly addressed; demands that all those responsible for the inhumane conditions of their detention to be held accountable;

G. whereas Amet Suleymanov, a Crimean Tatar journalist with multiple health issues, was sentenced to 12 years in a high-security prison and urgently requires medical care.

3. Calls on the international community to continue not recognising the attempted annexation of Crimea; demands an investigation into all cases of human rights violations in the occupied territories of Ukraine since 2014, to bring all responsible to justice, and strengthen sanctions against individuals and legal entities involved in the attempted annexation of Crimea;

1. Reiterates its condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; demands Russia immediately end its aggression, withdraw unconditionally from all Ukrainian territory, and compensate Ukraine for damages;

4. Demands the international community to contribute to achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the Peace Formula as proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; supports Ukrainian diplomatic efforts to keep the issue of the de-occupation of Crimea by diplomatic means high on the international agenda, such as the Crimean Platform;

2. Denounces Russia’s human rights violations in Crimea, including attempts to erase Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar identities, and urges compliance with international law; calls on the EU and Member States to support Ukraine’s pursuit of justice, including through universal jurisdiction and a special tribunal for the crime of aggression;

5. Instruct its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

3. Calls on Russia to release and repatriate all unlawfully detained Ukrainians, including Iryna Danylovych, Tofik Abdulhaziiev, Amet Suleymanov, Oleksandr Sizikov, Ruslan Adburakhmanov, and Rustem Huhuryk; demands detainees receive proper medical care, that their whereabouts be disclosed, and that they be allowed contact with families, lawyers, and international organisations;

4. Reiterates its call to adapt international organisations like the ICRC and UN to better address civilian detainees’ health and locations in Crimea and other occupied territories;

5. Calls on the EU and its Member States to support Crimean civil society, document human rights violations, prosecute perpetrators, and impose additional sanctions on responsible Russian and Belarusian entities and individuals;

6. Calls for the EU to increase efforts ensuring justice, rehabilitation, and reparations for victims of Russian aggression;

7. Urges the EU and its Member States to secure broad international support for Ukraine and a peaceful resolution based on Ukraine’s independence, firm security guarantees, territorial integrity, international law, accountability for war crimes, and reparations from Russia;

8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to facilitate the release and repatriation of unlawfully detained, or deported civilians, adults and children;

9. Urges Russia to ensure a safe environment for human rights defenders and lawyers, free from persecution or arbitrary detention;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, relevant EU institutions, and the Russian and Ukrainian authorities.