Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) and Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) issued the following statement: By definition, citizens living under armed occupation lack the freedom to determine their collective destiny. According to the website of Commission on security and cooperation in Europe, Crimean Tatars and activists who object to the illegal Russian occupation, including Oleg Sentsov, are targets of persecution and violence by the Government of Russia.
The document also notes that “Five years ago, the Government of Russia tried to legitimize its illegal occupation of Crimea by organizing a fake referendum in Ukrainian territory. By orchestrating this so-called vote, the Kremlin blatantly flouted international law. By definition, citizens living under armed occupation lack the freedom to determine their collective destiny”.
It is also reported that Crimean Tatars and activists who object to the illegal Russian occupation, including Oleg Sentsov, are targets of persecution and violence by the Government of Russia.
Earlier, the European Parliament adopted a resolution according to which Russia is no longer a strategic partner of EU. The European Union also imposed sanctions against eight Russian citizens in connection with the seizure of Ukrainian ships and the detention and arrest of Ukrainian POWs in the Kerch Strait area. The US House of Representatives approved a package of bills that are aimed at countering the Kremlin’s aggressive policy. In particular, the congressmen banned the US government from recognizing the annexation of Crimea legally or in fact. Canada also announced about new sanctions against Russia in response to aggressive actions in the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait and in connection with the illegal annexation of Crimea. In particular, sanctions are imposed on 114 individuals and 15 legal entities in accordance with the Law on Special Economic Measures.