Council of Europe sends human rights mission to Crimea
The human rights mission of the Council of Europe starts to work in Crimea.
It will be headed by Swiss diplomat Gerard Stoudmann, the Council of Europe press service reports.
Ambassador Stoudmann will be assisted by three members of the Council of Europe Secretariat.
Commenting on the decision to send the mission to Crimea, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland said that “no delegation from an international organization has been able to go there.”
“The mission will be conducted with full independence and will not deal with any issue related to the territorial status of Crimea,” the Secretary General said.
In his opinion, such an approach will help receive clear and comprehensive information on the human rights situation and make sure the people of Crimea are not forgotten.
The mission is expected to present its report in late February or March.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin stated that Ukraine and the Council of Europe had discussed the admission of the international observers to the occupied peninsula.
