What changed

B100235/2024

B100233/2024

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 Ukraine and Russia,Crimea,

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

A. Whereas since February 2014, Crimea has been temporarily occupied by Russia which illegally annexed it, following an unlawful and internationally unrecognized referendum;

A. whereas the Russian Federation violated international law by encroaching on the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Ukraine with the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol in 2014;

B. Whereas since this illegal occupation, Russia has systematically violated the human rights of indigenous peoples in Crimea through military and paramilitary repression, including arbitrary detentions, persecution of minorities, particularly Crimean Tatars, media censorship, forcible nationalization of Ukrainian property, and unlawful conscription into the Russian army, all aimed at forcibly altering Crimea's demographic composition, constituting a war crime under international law;

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;

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

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;

D. Whereas Tofik Abdulhaziiev, a Crimean Tatar activist arrested in 2019 on false terrorism charges whose health deteriorated severely in detention this year, with serious illnesses that legally warrant release under Russian law; whereas Iryna Danylovych, a Crimean nurse and activist, was abducted by FSB officers in 2022, subjected to psychological and physical abuse, sentenced to prison on fabricated charges, and her health has since deteriorated, with cerebral lesions, neurological disorders, while prison authorities deny her medical care; whereas Amet Suleymanov, a Crimean Solidarity journalist with severe heart disease, was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian high-security prison on fabricated terrorism charges, despite needing a heart valve replacement surgery, making his imprisonment a potential death sentence and the UN urging Russia to suspend the sentence and provide necessary medical care.

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;

1. Recalls its severe condemnation of the illegal annexation by Russia of the Crimean peninsula and the commitment of the EU, its Member States and the international community to implement the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea;

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;

2. Denounces Russia’s actions, including forced conscription, deportations, abductions, Russification, demographic changes, and the persecution of Tatars, along with the militarization of children through a “military-patriotic” education system.

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;

3. Condemns Russia's continuation of the Soviet oppressive legacy, targeting the indigenous Crimean Tatars with politically motivated persecution and systematic efforts to erase their heritage and culture in the temporarily occupied Crimea, echoing the tragic deportation of 1944, recognising that act as genocide.

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;

4. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of Iryna Danylovych, Tofik Abdulhaziiev and Amet Suleymanov and all political prisoners; calls for proper medical treatment for their conditions and accountability for those responsible for their inhumane detention.

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;

5. Calls on the EU in cooperation with the Council of Europe, to support cultural, educational, and media programs to protect the Crimean Tatar culture and language, threatened by forced assimilation under Crimea's illegal occupation.

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;

6.5. InstructsInstruct its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President ofVP/HR, the Commission / High Representative ofCouncil, the Union forCommission, Foreignthe Affairsgovernments and Security Policy, theparliaments Council,of the Commission, Member States, the ICC, the Russian Federation, and the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine and Mejlis of the Crimean TatarRussian People.Federation.