The annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia has been going on for over six years. But now, because of the coronavirus crisis, many people forget about it. We asked Denys Savchenko, the head of NGO “CRIMEASOS” about the situation with human rights situation in Crimea and how the coronavirus affects the lives of the inhabitants of the peninsula.
How did the political and economic situation in Crimea develop after six years of annexation?
On the initial stage of the occupation, Russian Federation vowed to provide wide political autonomy and significant improvements and refreshment to economical life of Crimea within Russian Federation, but in practice all these promises were false. On March 21, 2014, Russia’s President adopted the order “On establishing of Crimean federal region”, but two years after, in June 2016, this decision was changed and Crimea was included in South federal region that included 7 other federal subjects. Thus, in 2016, Crimea lost its special status and ceased to be an autonomous unit. Right after establishing factual control over the peninsula, Kremlin appointed loyal officials on the majority of important governing positions in Crimea, especially all law-enforcement and security forces. Additionally, Russia tried to include Crimea in its political reality by conducting parliamentary elections in August 2019.
Since 2014, Crimea is a subsidy region for the Russian Federation. This means that subsidies are allocated from the federal budget of the Russian Federation every year to stabilize the difference between revenues and expenditures and non-investment expenditures for specific purposes (establishing and maintenance of public authorities, subsidies, etc.). The termination of state support is planned from 2030. Such a long period is due to the fact that large-scale infrastructure projects (construction of the Tavrida highway, construction of the Kerch Bridge and new heat power plants) have not justified themselves, while tourism and agriculture spheres are not developing. Since 2015, the Russian state program “Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol” has been ongoing until now. Despite increase in the amount of salaries and social monetary assistance, Crimea residents remain under financial pressure due to significant increase of prices for the majority of basic goods and services. Foreign investors as well as big Russian businesses are not entering Crimea because it is a reputational and financial risk, as well as a threat of sanctions. At the same time, numerous cases of hostile takeovers of local businesses by criminals and/or representatives of security forces from Russia were observed in Crimea after start of the occupation.
How does the human rights situation look like? Is there any difference with Russia? How does the situation look for the population, first of all, for Crimean Tatars, who were strongly opposed to the annexation from the very beginning?
The situation with human rights in Crimea is steadily deteriorating. Except for the human rights violations that are typical for Russian Federation, such as the crackdown on independent media and journalists, censorship, violation of freedom of religion for certain religious groups (such as Jehovah's Witnesses), strict regulation of protests, inhumane conditions in prisons and detention centers, we are documenting gross human rights violations that are closely connected to the fact, that Russia is occupying Ukrainian peninsula. The occupying authorities are persecuting persons with pro-Ukrainian views or associated with such through various types of warnings, baseless searches and arrests, politically motivated criminal and administrative charges. Crimean Tatars — being the biggest group in Crimea that has been in strong opposition to the occupation make up 70% of all persons currently detained and convicted for political reasons. Russian-controlled courts in Crimea sentence them up to 19 years in prison on trumped-up charges. As of 25th of March, 2020, NGO “CRIMEASOS” identified 124 cases of politically motivated criminal persecution (85 of them against Crimean Tatars), 45 cases of enforced disappearances, at least 365 cases of politically motivated administrative persecution, at least 314 cases of inhumane treatment and/or tortures conducted after the beginning of the occupation of Crimea.
How do you evaluate Russia's attempts to "legalize" the annexation? Are they successful at some points? What are the consequences?
Russia’s attempts to legalize the occupation of Crimea pose a direct threat to the basic norms of international law and global security. Unfortunately, time, in this case, is working against Ukraine. While new global challenges arise the occupation of Crimea can slowly disappear from the agenda of international organizations and scope of interest and concern of our international partners, such as the European Union and the US. It is a challenging but crucial task for the Ukrainian government, its diplomats and delegations, NGOs, lawyers and academia to keep reminding the international community about the hideous crime of aggression that the Russian Federation continuous to commit in Crimea and parts of Donbass. Russia's endeavor to create an alternative reality with Crimea being its part will not succeed as long, as there is the realization that the occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory is the attack not only against Ukraine but against the whole international order as we know it.
What is the situation with the coronavirus now in Crimea? What are the biggest problems?
According to the information of the so-called "Ministry of Health of the Republic of Crimea" as of March 25, 2020, according to daily monitoring of the epidemic situation regarding cases of detection of a new coronavirus infection (2019-nCoV) in Crimea among people arriving from foreign countries, 1,523 people are under medical supervision, out of which 1467 people are under dynamic surveillance at home, 56 people are in hospitals. Identified 7 persons with positive tests for Covid-19. The only measure adopted by local authorities to prevent and fight spreading of the virus is closure of borders with Ukraine that was adopted by the Federal border service of FSB of Russia on March 18 until May 01 2020. There is a risk of dramatic deterioration of the epidemic situation on the territory of the peninsula due to absence of affective measures, e.g. promotion of self-isolation for residents of peninsula, and poor condition of medical infrastructure.
We separately worry about Covid-19 spread in prisons and detention facilities on the territory of Crimea and territory of Russian Federation, where Ukrainian political prisoners are being detained. Since March 16, 2020 Federal penitentiary service of RF applied restriction measures in all facilities, but prisoners and detained persons are devoid of access to medical services. During a court hearing on appeal on during a court hearing on the appeal against extension of detention to Server Mustafaiev that took place on 23 March, 2020, the defendant has been suffering from fever for the last few days, dry cough, severe headache and weakness throughout the body, all of which are alarming symptoms Covid-19. Despite recommendations, he was not provided with medical assistance on place or transferred to the medical facility for prospect examination and treatment.
Interview was made by Sergej Sumlenny, Head of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Kyiv Office — Ukraine.