Yfirlýsing í mannréttindaráði SÞ fyrir hönd NB8-ríkjanna um mannréttindaástand í Úkraínu

Madame President,

The Nordic-Baltic countries thank the Deputy High Commissioner for the update and the report. We reiterate our strong support for the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission.

We regret this spring’s military build-up by Russia along the Ukrainian border and in Crimea, as well as the continued casualties in eastern Ukraine. Our position is clear and well-known: we strongly condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine including the illegal annexation of Crimea, which we will not recognize. We commend Ukraine’s efforts to restore its control over Crimea.

Conflict-related detentions remain one of the key human rights and humanitarian challenges in the conflict-affected areas, particularly in the non-government-controlled areas. Degrading conditions of detention and ill-treatment of detainees are systemic. The lack of respect for the rule of law, humanitarian law and human rights, including the right to a fair trial, in the non-government controlled areas in eastern Ukraine is unacceptable. Human rights abuses must end and those responsible must be held accountable.

We call on Russia to uphold its obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law. We stress the need to implement the Minsk agreements fully in accordance with international law and in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and we call on Russia to fully assume its responsibility in this regard.

Thank you.

Yfirlýsingin var flutt í mannréttindaráði Sameinuðu þjóðanna 9. júlí 2021