UN Human Rights Council, 40th Session
Item 10: Interactive dialogue on the UN High Commissioner’s oral update on Ukraine
20 March 2019
Intervention by ESTONIA
Mr President,
Distinguished High Commissioner,
Estonia aligns itself with the EU statement.
We thank the High Commissioner for the update on the human rights situation in Ukraine.
The illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the Crimean peninsula has lasted for five years. The security and humanitarian situation in Donetsk and Luhansk remains concerning and regrettably, there are no signs of political resolution to the conflict.
Russian actions are in breach of the UN Charter, as well as of Russia’s other international and bilateral commitments such as the principles of regional European security and stability, enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris foundations of the OSCE.
The rapidly worsening human rights situation in the Crimean peninsula is highly worrying. There are grave violations of the rights of minorities, notably Crimean Tatars, including the ban on activities of the Mejlis. We call on Russian Federation to immediately release all political prisoners and honour the freedom of expression as a basic human right and to refrain from further militarisation of the peninsula.
Estonia values the excellent work done by HRMMU in promoting and protecting human rights of the people of Ukraine. We remain concerned about the denial of access to OHCHR and other independent international monitors to the territories controlled by the Russian supported armed groups in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, including denied access to detainees and places of deprivation of liberty. We reiterate our urgent call to Russian Federation, and the armed groups it controls and leads, to stop all violations and abuses of human rights and to ensure full and unimpeded access for all independent international human rights monitoring missions and human rights NGOs to the whole territory of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Thank you.