Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Head of the Department of Legal and Foreign Affairs of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Eskender Bariiev spoke at the 21st session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples under item 5a Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples [Interactive Dialogue] of the agenda.
In his speech, Eskender Bariiev
noted that the Russian army launched more than 1,300 missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, including cruise missiles and high-explosive bombs prohibited by the UN International Convention on the Prohibition or Restriction of the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons with Indiscriminate Effects.
stressed that as a result of rocket attacks, significant damage was caused to monuments of cultural heritage and mother earth. Civilians of different ethnic groups and confessions, including children, were killed.
announced the death of 17-year-old Emir Belialov, a representative of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, from a Russian rocket that hit the house at 5 am on the first day of the mass bombing of Ukraine.
said that Russia uses the territory of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people of Crimea as a springboard for military equipment and bombing of Ukraine. And representatives of indigenous peoples, both from the occupied territories and the Russian Federation, are attracted to the Armed Forces and sent to the war against Ukraine. These actions violate articles 29, 30 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
stated that systematic searches, arrests and detentions were carried out in the occupied territories. They scare people. There are 97 representatives of the indigenous people in places of captivity. And about 7 thousand representatives of indigenous peoples became IDPs and refugees.
informed that a missile strike was carried out on the capital of Ukraine during a meeting of the UN Secretary General and the President of Ukraine.
stressed that two Russian organizations, the Association of Finno-Ugric peoples of the Russian Federation and Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North – RAIPON , which have consultative status with ECOSOC, officially supported Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. Thus, they supported the murder of civilians, indigenous peoples of Ukraine, crimes against humanity.
called on the President and the Bureau of ECOSOC to deprive these organizations of their consultative status, and to prevent their representatives from being elected as members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.
recommended,
HRС to establish a Special Rapporteur on the situation of indigenous peoples in situations of interstate conflict;
include the Declaration in the list of universal review standards, since Russia does not respect the rights of indigenous peoples;
develop a humanitarian response plan to protect the rights of indigenous peoples affected by Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.