In June, 13 the officials of the Department of International Connections of the Mission took part in the discussion of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances related to Crimean issues held by the support of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Kiev. The participants of the event were the representatives of the state bodies and non-governmental organizations. In the cause of the meeting it was discussed the circumstances of the enforced disappearances of persons from the temporarily occupied Crimea, measures carried out by the Government to investigate the cases of disappearances and bring perpetrators to justice, a right to an effective remedy to victims of enforced disappearances and their families from Crimea and victims’ right to justice.

It was also mentioned on the case of “Crimean saboteurs”, on cases of Emir Usein, Reshat Ametov and others political detainers of Kremlin, on cases of kidnapped fishers by the Russian militaries. Ukraine joined to the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances in August 14, 2015 and recognized the competence of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances to investigate individual complaints against Ukraine and complaints of the state – members for violations of the International Convention of 2015 by the state – member. However, the question arises whether the compliance with the International Convention of 2015 in Crimea is. Though Ukraine is unable to control Crimea, illegally occupied by the RF, the peninsula is a territory under the jurisdiction of Ukraine, as a state – member of the Convention. That’s why the Mission will undertake efforts to provide the appropriate interaction among the law enforcement bodies and others bodies to implement the obligations on Crimea under the international instruments of Ukraine on the enforcement disappearances in the context of bringing to justice the identified perpetrators and investigations of disappearances.   

The Mission is ready to facilitate the Working Group in providing relevant information and supports the proposal of the members of the Working Group to visit the temporarily occupied Crimea, as a territory of Ukraine to determine the real level of risk of further enforced or involuntary disappearances in the peninsula. However Russia avoids implementing own obligations under IV Geneva Convention to execute the International Convention of 2015, as a part of current national legislation of Ukraine to be executed in Crimea. The issue of Russia’s compliance with the International Convention of 2015 in the occupied Crimea can be a subject for discussion by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, UN Committee against Torture also as the UN Human Rights Council. As far as the mandate of the Working Group does not depends on joining the RF to the International Convention of 2015, this Group should become the important body of ensuring the protection of victims of enforced disappearances and their families in Crimea anyway.