Deep concern from Ukrainian authorities and human rights defenders – once again, facts of disappearances of Ukrainian citizens have been recorded in the temporarily occupied Crimea
According to the latest reports, during a raid or detention in Sevastopol, unknown individuals, who are likely posing as employees of the Russian Federal Security Service, abducted Ukrainian citizen Serhii Hryshchenkov without proper documents and without the possibility of clarifying his fate. This incident was reported by the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, who received information from the daughter of the missing man. According to Dmytro Lubinets, the incident occurred early in the morning on May 7. Since then, Hryshchenkov’s family and human rights organizations have had no clarity about the whereabouts of the detained person or his legal options regarding his protection or exchange. Lubinets emphasized that such abductions are not isolated cases in the occupied territory of the peninsula, and have fully become routine practices of the local occupation administration. “The essence of this situation is complete apathy and impunity, as unknown individuals are mass abducting people, impersonating officers of the FSB of Russia. This is a gross violation of international legal norms and standards, including several articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights,” stated Dmytro Lubinets. He adds that, according to paragraphs 2 of Article 9, as well as paragraphs 4 and 2 of Article 14 of international documents, detained individuals and their families are guaranteed the right to receive accurate and timely information about the grounds for detention, their legal status, and their whereabouts. The Ombudsman has announced that he has already sent a formal request to the Russian Ombudsman, Tatyana Moskalkova, demanding to provide official and objective information regarding the situation with Hryshchenkov and to guarantee his rights. “This case once again confirms that the occupation authorities are unable to ensure even basic legal standards for residents of occupied Crimea, violating international norms and cynically disregarding human rights. Such practices have become a daily routine for thousands of Ukrainian citizens remaining on the peninsula,” he concluded. Additionally, it is worth noting that on May 18, the Crimean Tatar Mejlis issued a strong statement regarding Russia’s policies in the occupied Crimea. Official representatives emphasized that Moscow’s current policies are a direct continuation of the Soviet genocidal methods and practices used against the Crimean Tatar people in the past. These statements further confirm that human rights violations and cynical abuse of residents of the peninsula have become systemic and are increasingly provoking outrage within the international community. The situation in Crimea remains an urgent message about the need to intensify international investigation and response to severe human rights violations. Ukraine and the global community must unite efforts to restore citizens’ rights and put an end to practices of abductions, disappearances, and unlawful detentions in the region that has been under occupation for a long time.