Occupation authorities in Ukrainian Crimea accused of using administrative resources to justify Russia’s war
The local occupation authorities in Crimea have come under scrutiny from the human rights initiative “Quirim Gayesi” for allegedly exploiting their administrative resources to legitimize the ongoing genocidal war conducted by the Russian Federation. According to reports, department heads are reportedly compelled to publicly endorse the war through their social media accounts, as well as through the display of supportive messages on vehicles and buildings.
These findings are included in the report “Review of the situation with human rights and adherence to norms of international humanitarian law in Crimea after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine,” published by the human rights initiative Qirim Gayesi. і Crimean Idea
A large banner with the symbol “Z” hangs over the building of installed by Russia “government” in the centre of Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city. The “Z” has been become a symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and it is found all across the peninsula, painted on vehicles, displayed on banners or printed on clothing items. © IWPRSince the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine, local authorities of the temporarily occupied Crimea have been using their administrative resources to justify the war. This has involved mandating heads of state, regional, and municipal departments to publish at least three messages on their social media accounts, demonstrating their endorsement of military aggression.
Quirim Gayesi emphasizes that the illegal “Ministry of Internal Policy, Information, and Communication of the Republic of Crimea” is tasked with monitoring the implementation of these directives. Additionally, stickers with the letter ‘Z’, symbolizing support for the Russian army’s actions in Ukraine, were compulsorily placed on public transport, municipal service cars, emergency services vehicles, and other government bodies’ cars and buildings.
Outdoor advertising designs aimed at military propaganda were also frequently used at the beginning of the invasion. The authorities regularly receive plans to collect “voluntary” aid for the Russian military, which are often funded by Crimean entrepreneurs. Representatives of businesses fear to disapprove of the imposed support for the Russian army due to potential repercussions from occupying bodies.
As a reminder, according to the latest data from Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Russia is illegally holding 180 Crimean political prisoners, 116 of whom are Crimean Tatars.
As a reminder, in April 2023, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatović, published a report titled “Crimean Tatars’ Struggle for Human Rights”. In it, she noted that Crimean Tatars in Crimea, especially those who oppose the illegal annexation of Crimea or express dissent on other issues, face numerous serious human rights violations, persecution, discrimination, and stigmatization by the Russian occupying authorities.
The human rights community in Ukraine believes that the de-occupation of Crimea is necessary to stop the systematic and gross violations of human rights committed by the Russian Federation on the peninsula. They are urging other countries to support Ukraine with timely and sufficient supplies of weapons and military equipment.
On April 17, 2022, in his evening video speech, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian soldiers are paying with their lives for the time they wait for weapons to be delivered. This happens every time Ukraine’s partners delay or hesitate about the range or other characteristics of weapons.
