“This week marks the 5th anniversary of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. I would like to recall the Committee of Ministers’ condemnation of the annexation, which constitutes a violation of international law and cannot form the basis for any alteration of their status, and to reiterate its commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
The Committee of Ministers has called for full and unrestricted access to the Crimean peninsula for all human rights bodies of the Council of Europe. They should be able to carry out their monitoring activities unimpeded to urgently address deteriorations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
