Strasbourg – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has reasserted that the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation is a gross violation of international law and urged Russia to immediately return it back to Ukraine.
“The Assembly reasserts that the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation is a gross violation of international law, including of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as well as the Statute of the Council of Europe and Russia’s accession commitments to this Organization,” reads a recently adopted resolution of the organization.
Moreover, the assembly said it is alarmed about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Crimea, including the deaths and disappearances of political activists who were critical of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
“It is equally concerned about the threats and actions against independent and critical media outlets,” reads the document.
In this respect, the Assembly urges the Russian authorities “to reverse the illegal annexation of Crimea; fully and transparently investigate these deaths and disappearances as well as allegations of abuse and human rights violations by the police and (para)military forces active in this region; disband all paramilitary forces in the region; refrain from any pressure and threats of closure of independent media outlets and reverse the closure of the Crimean Tatar Channel, ATR,” the documents said.
