On April 23, a presentation was held on the results of implementing the recommendations from the Special Report of the Ombudsman regarding the protection of the rights of national minorities and Indigenous peoples amid the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The event brought together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, and civil society groups. Deputy Permanent Representative Denys Chystikov presented the outcomes of the Mission’s activities.

In his address, Denys Chystikov focused particular attention on the situation in temporarily occupied Crimea:

“Based on monitoring conducted in 2024–2025, we can already anticipate the continuation of large-scale violations by the Russian Federation this year. These include filtration measures in areas of concentrated Crimean Tatar residence, often disguised as “training exercises” by Russian law enforcement, pressure on local leaders, enforced disappearances of individuals who later resurface in Russian prisons, and the revocation of licenses from lawyers defending Ukrainian citizens in politically motivated cases—significantly restricting their right to defense. There are also instances of denial of medical care to civilian hostages. Sentences are being served in remote regions of Russia, at distances of over 2,000 kilometers from Crimea.

Special attention should be paid to documenting Russia’s propaganda activities targeting youth in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine—activities for which record amounts of funding have been allocated.”

Denys Chystikov also emphasized the importance of a systematic approach to monitoring the human rights situation and finding new ways to effectively utilize this information in the work of state bodies, civil society organizations, and international humanitarian missions:

“The Mission conducts daily monitoring, which is sent weekly to the Office of the President, government agencies, and a number of partner embassies. This year, we have also established communication with civil society organizations representing national minorities, to whom we provide tailored reports on human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. These organizations, in turn, use the monitoring in their communications with international partners to convey the scale of crimes committed by the Russian Federation,” the Deputy Permanent Representative explained.

Denys Chystikov also outlined the Mission’s priority areas of work in supporting the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine, particularly the Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks:

“We maintain close cooperation with the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People. Currently, preparations are underway for events marking the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide, as well as efforts to restore the National Commission on the Crimean Tatar Language. In the near future, a meeting with representatives of the Karaites and Krymchaks is planned—we aim to involve not only national organizations but also young people, who can become a driving force for their development.”

The Mission will continue to work actively in the field of protecting the rights of national minorities and Indigenous peoples, documenting violations, and informing partner states, as well as international humanitarian and human rights missions, about the scale and consequences of such abuses. In cooperation with government agencies, civil society organizations, and foreign humanitarian and human rights structures, the Mission will also seek joint solutions to assist Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories.

Photo: Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine