During the fight against the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection, the Russian Federation, as the occupying state, must provide the population with medicine, food and adequate healthcare without any discrimination. This was reported by the press service of the ARC prosecutor’s office.
“During the fight against the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19 in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Russian Federation, as an occupying state, must adhere to its obligations under international law, in particular, provided for in Article 55 of the Convention for the Protection of Civilian Population in the Time of War of 1949, namely articles 11 and 85 of the Additional Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions”,- the statement outlined.
The prosecutor's office notes that the occupying state should provide the population of the peninsula with medicine, food and adequate healthcare without any discrimination on the basis of political views, religion, racial or ethnic origin. In case of non-compliance with the aformentioned requirements of international humanitarian law, the ARC prosecutor's office will provide a legal assessment of each violation of the rights of Crimeans.