The Third Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) has adopted the updated draft of the resolution titled: "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine."
The relevant document was backed by 67 UN member states, 23 voted against it, 82 abstained.
The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations reported 38 countries became co-sponsors of the draft resolution.
The document concerns the protection of human rights in occupied Crimea, which are violated by the Russian Federation as an occupying state.
It condemns the imposition and retroactive application of the legal system of the Russian Federation, and its negative impact on human rights.
The key provisions of the document include references to the international legal definition of aggression, as well as a warning that "no territorial acquisition or special advantage resulting from aggression is or shall be recognized as lawful."
In addition, the draft resolution calls on the Russian Federation to end practices aimed at changing the demographic structure in Crimea by forcedly deporting or transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
The document strongly condemns "mass detentions on terrorism grounds and other forms of repressions against human rights defenders, including against activists of the Crimean Solidarity civic initiative, which documents abuses on the peninsula and provides humanitarian assistance to the families of victims of politically motivated prosecutions."
What is more, it calls on Russia to "refrain from arresting or prosecuting Crimean residents for non-criminal acts committed or opinions expressed, including in social media comments or posts, before the occupation, and release all Crimean residents who have been arrested or imprisoned for such acts."
It also urges Russia to "end the practice of compelling Crimean residents to serve in the armed or auxiliary forces of the Russian Federation, including through pressure or propaganda, and in particular ensure that Crimean residents are not compelled to participate in military operations of the Russian Federation."
The draft resolution also calls on Russia to "release all unlawfully detained Ukrainian citizens and to ensure their safe return to Ukraine."
In addition, the General Assembly calls on upon "Member States to continue advocacy for the respect of human rights, including by condemning human rights violations and abuses committed in Crimea at bilateral and multilateral forums."
As UNIAN reported earlier, the first wording of the resolution on human rights in Russian-occupied Crimea was considered in December 2016. It was supported by 70 countries, 77 abstained and 26 voted against it.
On December 19, 2017, the UN General Assembly approved its amended version with 70 countries for it and 26 against, while 76 abstained.
On December 23, 2018, the UN General Assembly again supported the updated resolution "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine." In total, 65 countries backed the resolution, 70 abstained, and 27 voted against.
