The representative office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea stated that the draft campaign of the Russian Federation on the annexed peninsula and the criminal prosecution of Crimean men for evading draft are systemic war crimes. These actions have already been condemned by the international community. This was reported via the official page of the Office on Facebook.
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“In the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Russian Federation began spring draft of citizens for military service. In total, it is planned to draft and send about 3.3 thousand people from the territory of the peninsula. Moreover, most of them will be sent away from the peninsula to the military units of the Southern and other military districts of the occupying state”,- the report said.
It is noted that such actions of the Russian Federation is a systemic war crime, and the fact that the draft occurs during a pandemic poses a threat to the life and health of people. Conducting a draft of residents of the occupied territories into the armed forces of the occupying state, as well as continuous propaganda of service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Crimea, violate Article 51 of the Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
“We appeal to Crimeans who do not want to join the army of the Russian Federation and get a criminal sentence for evasion, with a request to report facts of illegal conscription and military service. Indeed, the evidence collected will help in the work to curb illegal conscription in Crimea at the international level”,- they added.