The situation of human rights observance in Russia-occupied Crimea is terrible,” said Robert Bershinski, head of the Department for democracy, labor and human rights of the US State Department.
“I am overseeing human rights issues at the US State Department. We understand that the situation with human rights in the occupied peninsula is horrible,” Bershinski said.
According to him, the most terrible is the fact that, in particular, independent media are incapable of working in Crimea and that people there are illegally tried and kept in prison.
As stated in the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the human rights situation in the region is extremely difficult. Crimean Tatars, who participate in demonstrations, are harassed, arrested for alleged membership in “terrorist” organizations.
UN is also concerned about the recognition of Mejlis as extremist organization and ban of its activities.
The representative of the US State Department is concerned about the Crimean occupation authorities’ attempt to eliminate the only church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate in Simferopol. Crimean residents, who refuse to accept Russian citizenship, are harassed.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights appealed to the so-called Crimean authorities to refrain from banning the Mejlis.
Nataliya Popovych, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, informed Archbishop Klyment of Simferopol and the Crimea of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate on the position of the Department of State during the meeting, which was held at the representative office of the President of Ukraine in Crimea in Kherson. It was reported by the press center of the Kyiv Patriarchate.