In framework of permanent co-operation with UN bodies our Associaiton sent in 2024 a set of submissions, prepared by Professor Borys Babin, Associate Professors Olexiy Plotnikov and Andrii Chvaliuk and other experts, for UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, describing Russian Nazi policy, racial discrimination and other discriminative activities in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Now the annual Report A/HRC/56/67 of that UN Special Rapporteur, Dr. Ashwini K.P. “Combating the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” to the Human Rights Council was published and it reflected the information, submitted by our Associaiton.
In points 50-52 Report confirms the report of our Association that, “since its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation had targeted the civilian population and infrastructure on a wide scale” and “that such aggression continued to be connected to discriminatory sentiments, including against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, linguistic and ethnic groups, members of religious minority groups” and ohters, adding that “hate speech against such groups, including online, was reported by the Association”.
Report A/HRC/56/67 also confirms that our Association “referred to the findings of regional and international bodies concerning the invasion by the Russian Federation, including resolutions of the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, findings of the special procedures mechanisms of the Council” and other statements”.
Report A/HRC/56/67 reflects our information that the International Court of Justice had ruled on 31 January 2024 that the management by the Russia of the education system in Crimea since 2014 had violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and that the International Criminal Court, on 17 March 2023, had issued an arrest warrant for the President of the Russia for the war crime of the unlawful deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation
Report A/HRC/56/67 reflects our information on aggressor’s “recent spikes in hate speech, xenophobia and racially discriminatory statements” and that the terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024 was a catalyst for discriminatory sentiments”, including by invaders’ “public officials”.
UN Special Rapporteur demands in that Report A/HRC/56/67 to UN States to adopt comprehensive measures to combat racist hate speech and xenophobic political discourse, while upholding freedom of expression, and to take all steps necessary to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of anti-discrimination legislation. Our cooperation with UN bodies on that issue will be continued.
