REUTERS

The European Union has commented on recent detentions in Russia-occupied Crimea, saying it expects Russia will end the pressure on Crimean Tatars.

"The EU expects Russia to end the pressure on the Crimean Tatar community. International human rights standards must be guaranteed in the peninsula," EU Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano said in a statement on July 8.

Read alsoU.S. Embassy in Kyiv concerned by detentions of Crimean Tatars on July 7

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"Full, free and unrestricted access for international human rights actors to the whole territory of Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol, continues to be paramount," the statement said.

On July 7, 2020, seven individuals, mostly Crimean Tatars, were arrested in the Crimean peninsula for their alleged political affiliation.

"The European Union considers their detention to be politically motivated and, as they have been carried out under Russian legislation by Russian 'authorities' in Ukrainian territory, illegal under international law," the statement said.

The EU says it does not recognize the enforcement of Russian legislation in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and expects all illegally detained Ukrainians to be released without delay.

The EU reiterates its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.