Seven years after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea, Heiko Maas, the current Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and German Foreign Minister, issued a statement on Friday 26 February in which he noted that at the time, the Committee had described the annexation as “illegal”. A condemnation that he reiterates by confirming the “unequivocal and unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”.
Mr Maas also insists on “the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements and the Paris summit conclusions in order to end the military conflict in Donbas”.
Another matter of concern is the “significant deterioration of the human rights situation on the Crimean peninsula since its annexation”. Recalling the decision of the European Court of Human Rights last January (partial admissibility of an application by Ukraine against Russia alleging violations of the European Convention on Human Rights), Heiko Maas calls for the authorisation of “unimpeded access to regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms, as well as non-governmental human rights organisations, to Crimea and Sevastopol”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)