38^th session of the Human Rights Council

Item 3

Clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; IE on SOGI

Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine

 (Geneva, June 18, 2018)

Mr. President,

Ukraine thanks both mandate holders for their presentations and reports; let me turn to Mr. Voulé.

As it is indicated in your first report, the enjoyment of the rights to peaceful assembly and association is particularly important for groups who find themselves at particular risk because they belong to minority or are marginalized otherwise, and the exercise of these rights is essential to reaffirm their identity and to ensure that their interests are taken into account.

In the past four years we have witnessed abuses and violations of fundamental human rights perpetrated by Russia and its occupying authorities in Crimea against representatives of indigenous Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians. Russia has chosen the path of intimidation and violence to maintain its illegitimate control by repressing anyone opposing Russia’s occupation of Crimea.

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly has been curtailed since the peninsula’s occupation in 2014. Public gatherings and street protests in Crimea have significantly shrank as the occupying authorities have applied, in contradiction to International Humanitarian Law, the restrictive Russian legislation and administrative formalities to curb any public protest or other assemblies that could be considered as opposing the occupying regime. Legislative provisions have been used to ban unwelcome demonstrations and public gatherings.

We invite the Special Rapporteur on peaceful assembly and association to visit Ukraine, including temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to estimate the situation on the ground.

We also maintain working contacts with Independent Expert on SOGI to identify mutually acceptable dates of his visit to my country, on his request, supported by my Government.

Thank you, Mr. President.