MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Crimean Tatars
10.5.2016 - (2016/2692(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Eric Andrieu, Francisco Assis, Zigmantas Balčytis, Hugues Bayet, Brando Benifei, Goffredo Maria Bettini, José Blanco López, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Nicola Caputo, Andrea Cozzolino, Andi Cristea, Viorica Dăncilă, Monika Flašíková Beňová, Doru-Claudian Frunzulică, Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Neena Gill, Michela Giuffrida, Maria Grapini, Theresa Griffin, Enrique Guerrero Salom, Sylvie Guillaume, Jytte Guteland, Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto, Richard Howitt, Cătălin Sorin Ivan, Liisa Jaakonsaari, Agnes Jongerius, Cécile Kashetu Kyenge, Krystyna Łybacka, Marlene Mizzi, Sorin Moisă, Alessia Maria Mosca, Victor Negrescu, Vincent Peillon, Tonino Picula, Kati Piri, Miroslav Poche, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Peter Simon, Tibor Szanyi, Claudia Tapardel, Marc Tarabella, Elena Valenciano, Julie Ward, Damiano Zoffoli, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Victor Boştinaru, Josef Weidenholzer on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0582/2016
The European Parliament,
-having regard to its previous resolution on the situation in Ukraine and the Russian Federation,
-having regard to its resolution of 3 February 2016 on the human rights situation in Crimea, in particular of the Crimean Tatars,
-having regard to the European Convention of Human Rights, to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, and to the UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);
-having regard to the international humanitarian law and, in particular, to its provisions on occupied territories,
-having regard to the Council conclusions and to the related decisions of March and June 2014, imposing sanctions on the Russian Federation and individuals and companies involved in the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as substantial restrictions on economic relations with Crimea and Sevastopol,
-having regard to the Reports of the Human Rights Assessment Mission on Crimea conducted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), as well as to the Report to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe by Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann on his recent human rights visit to Crimea (25-31 January 2016),
-having regard to the Statement of 26 April 2016 by the EEAS Spokesperson on the decision of the "Supreme Court" of Crimea to ban Mejlis activities;
-having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123 (4) of its rules of procedure,
A.whereas the Russian Federation has illegally annexed and since then exercises effective control over the Crimean peninsula;
B.whereas the European Union and the international community have repeatedly voiced their concern over the situation of human rights in the occupied territories and the systematic persecution of those who are not recognizing the new authorities; whereas these de facto authorities targeted the indigenous community of Crimean Tatars, whose majority oppose the Russian take-over of the peninsula; whereas Crimean Tatar institutions and organizations are increasingly branded as “extremists” and community prominent members are arrested or risk to be arrested as “terrorists”;
C.whereas, on 26 April 2016, the de facto Supreme Court of Crimea ruled in favour of a lawsuit lodged by the Prosecutor of Crimea, accusing the Mejlis, the representative body of the Crimean Tatars since its establishment in 1991, of extremism, illegal actions and acts of sabotage against the authorities; whereas, as a consequence, Mejlis activities are now banned on the territory of Crimea and of the Russian Federation with consequences for all Majlis members;
1.Condemns the decision to ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People as a politically motivated action aimed at further intimidating the legitimate representatives of the Tatar Community; notes with regret that this decision will prevent the Mejlis from making use of all state and municipal media, hold mass events, use bank accounts and carry out any activities; stresses the importance of this democratically elected decision-making body of Crimean Tatar people; demands the immediate annulation of the decision and the full respect for the right to freedom of association of the Crimean Tatars;
2.Notes that prominent Crimean Tatar leaders, namely Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov, have been forced into exile and others who decided to stay on the peninsula face persecution; is concerned that the branding of Mejlis as an extremist organisation might lead to additional charges in line with article 282 of the Russian Federation’s Criminal Code; points out, furthermore, the case of Akthem Chiygoz, Vice Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, who is detained in Simferopol pending trial; calls for particular attention to the state of Mr. Chiygoz’s health and underlines the importance that his trial is public and monitored by the Council of Europe and other international organisations;
2.Underlines the need to ensure the enjoinment of freedom of expression for the Crimean Tatar people, Ukrainians and all other minorities in the Crimean Peninsula; strongly regrets the systematic restrictions to freedom of expression under the argument of extremism and the monitoring of social media with the aim of identifying activists who are not recognizing the new order and criticizing the validity of the “referendum” held on 16 March 2014; recalls the fact that a hundred UN General Assembly member states took the same stance with the adoption of resolution 68/262;
3.Calls for the reopening and free operation on Crimean territory of the private Tatar ATR TV, the children’s TV channel “Lale” and radio station “Meydan” that stopped being aired after the Russian occupation; notes the establishment of the new public Crimean Tatar television “Millet TV” as a positive step; highlights, however, the need to ensure its independence and guarantee the plurality and diversity of media in Crimea;
4.Reminds the fact that the indigenous Crimean Tatar people has suffered from historic injustices which led to their massive deportation by Soviet authorities and to the dispossession of their lands and resources; regrets that discriminatory policies applied by the de facto authorities are preventing the return of these properties and resources or are used as an instrument to buy support;
5.Stresses the need of independent and transparent investigations of all cases of enforced disappearances, human rights violations, torture and ill-treatment, and violence against the Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and others; calls for the re-activation of the Contact Group for the families of disappeared persons that is not convening since April 2015;
6.Calls for continuous attention by the international community to the fate of the Crimean Tatars and urges the Russian and the de facto authorities to ensure unrestricted access to Crimea by international institutions and independent human rights experts;
7.Highlights that, under international humanitarian law, the Russian Federation as occupying party is ultimately responsible for violations of international human rights law committed by de facto local authorities or proxy forces;
8.Reconfirms its full commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders; supports the EU non-recognition policy and the sanctions imposed in the aftermath of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol; stresses, however, the need of minimizing their impact on ordinary people; while recognizing the right of reaction against the unjust occupation, warns about the adverse consequences that certain actions might have, in particular for those Crimean Tatars who try to rebuild their lives in Crimea; calls on all parties to immediately pursue a peaceful resolution of the situation through political dialogue and with full respect of international law;
9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the President, Government and Parliament of the Ukraine and of the Russian Federation, and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.