Criticism mounts globally against Russia over alleged rights abuses in Crimea
Russia's actions on the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula have been slammed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg for repeated violations of human rights. The court deemed the infringements as systematic due to their numerous and interconnected nature. The lawsuit lodged by the Ukraine government included accusations of illegal detentions, suppression of non-Russian media outlets and the Ukrainian language in schools, overpopulated prisons prior to trial, biased verdicts based on pro-Ukrainian sentiments, and the relocation of detainees from Crimea to Russian prisons.
In their ruling, the judges pointed out Russia's breaches of multiple provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. They also expressed disapproval over Russia's apparent lack of thorough investigations, mentioning that these practices were tacitly condoned by the Russian authorities.
The judges further noted that Russia used Russian law in the Crimea, contrary to International Humanitarian Law. They highlighted that the legislation prevailing in the occupied territory should have been adhered to, which meant Ukrainian law. At present, there are four interstate lawsuits between Ukraine and Russia being heard at the ECHR, with the Netherlands having allied with Ukraine in one case.
Around 7,400 individual claims have been submitted to the court concerning incidents in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and the Russian military operation in Ukraine. The judges underlined that the issue of appropriate compensation remains unsettled. However, they urged Russia to repatriate detainees who were transported to Russia.
The Crimean Peninsula was annexed by Russia following a controversial referendum in March 2014, which was not acknowledged by Ukraine and the Western world. The Ukrainian government and the West condemned this move. Following this, pro-Russian militias engaged in combat with the Ukrainian army in Eastern Ukraine, leading to over 14,000 casualties. Russia instigated an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since 2022, Russia no longer acknowledges the European Court of Human Rights, yet the court continues to manage ongoing cases.
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- Amidst international outcry, Russia's treatment of human rights in Crimea has also been criticized by the German Chancellor, who advocates for expelling severe offenders from the country.
- The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, continuing to manage cases against Russia despite Russian non-acknowledgment, has urged Russia to repatriate detainees transported from Crimea to Russian prisons.
- While the Crimean Peninsula's annexation is disputed, a significant number of individual claims related to human rights violations in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and the Russian military operation in Ukraine are awaiting resolution at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
