On October 26 the European Court of Human Rights published the communication in the case 42154/16 “Borys Volodymyrovych Babin v. Russia” devoted to the aggressor’s violation of the rights of expert of our Association, guaranteed by Articles 8, 10, 13, 14, and 18 of the European Convention and Article 1 of Protocol № 1.
The application arises from the Russian aggression and occupation of Crimea, and it covers the automatic imposition of “Russian citizenship” without a certain way of refusal and the inability to return to the applicant’s hometown of Yevpatoria, also regarding lost access to and control over his property in Crimea.
Also, the application covers including the victim in the list of political and civil activists opposing the attempted annexation of Crimea in 2018 by the “Public Chamber of the Republic of Crimea,” based on his public statements. The application covers additionally the imposition of the economic sanctions by the Russian Government on Professor Babin for “unfriendly actions against citizens and legal entities of Russia.”
Such repressions were related to the applicant’s activities as Executive Secretary and, later, the lawyer of the Ukrainian Independent Maritime Trade Union, with his primary responsibility being the protection of the rights and interests of Ukrainian sailors and fishermen whose rights were violated by Russia.
Also, such repressions were connected with the applicant’s position as the former Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the AR of Crimea till December 2018.
In the case 42154/16, Borys Babin claims violation of his rights on his private life, to peaceful enjoyment of his possessions, to freedom of expression, and on his discrimination based on his nationality and political views, also as on the absence of effective remedy.
He stressed that the impugned measures formed part of an intentional policy of the Russian authorities against him because of his civil and political position and, more broadly, of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
