44th session of the UN Human Rights Council
Agenda Item 9
Interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Intervention by the Delegation of Ukraine
July 15, 2020
Madame President,
Ukraine thanks Special Rapporteur for providing us with valuable lessons about the connections among different forms of oppressions.
Ukraine is committed to combatting xenophobia, hatred and intolerance and any manifestation of repression globally and within its borders. We share Special Rapporteur’s concern that some states utilize measures to combat racism as a pretext to curtail expressions of protest at injustice, social discontent, or opposition. Such violations of human rights accurately describe repression campaign waged by Russia in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Russia abuses its anti-extremist legislation by handing over so-called "warnings about extremist activities", carrying out politically and religiously motivated show trials against civil society activists, in particular Crimean Tatars, to consolidate atmosphere of fear in the occupied peninsula. Manipulative and xenophobic fakes concerning Ukraine are being spread by Russian state-owned media to justify aggression against my country.
As it is rightly stated in one of the SR’s reports «slander laws that target minority religious groups, political opponents, human rights defenders or others who appropriately exercise their freedom of expression should not be tolerated».
Russia, as an occupying power, shall comply with its international obligations, including under ICERD, implement ICJ order of 19 April 2017 and cease its unlawful actions against Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians and others, who oppose repressive Russian policies on the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.
I thank you.