Human rights in the Non-Government Controlled Areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions | April, 2018

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS MONITORING IN THE NON-GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED AREAS OF LUHANSK AND DONETSK REGIONS APRIL, 2018

1.

Illegal arrests, detentions and restriction of freedom of movement

In April, 2018, the new facts of human rights violations were identified in certain districts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, controlled by the armed groups of so-called “LPR” and “DPR”: illegal detentions, restrictions of freedom of movement of civilians, obstruction of the activities of international organizations, involvement of schoolchildren into the events with propagandistic aims, coercion of the residents of so-called “LPR and DPR” to join “civil society organizations”, development of parallel legal system and violation of property rights. Unfortunately, all these human rights violations have become a “norm” for residents of the territories of so-called “people’s republics”.

1. Illegal arrests, detentions and restriction of freedom of movement The occupation administration of the Russian Federation restricted the nighttime freedom of movement of citizens in the occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions via the so-called “curfew”. At the same time, raids are periodically conducted to identify “offenders”. So, on the night of March 30 to April 1, the “police” of the occupation administration conducted the “Night City” intervention, when 473 people were detained for violating the curfew.

From April 20 to 22, 418 people were detained during the similar “curfew” operation.

Two Ukrainian citizens who currently reside in the territory under the control of the Ukrainian authorities were detained in Luhansk during the so-called “curfew”. They came to Luhansk to check the safety of the apartment.

They reported, that they were interrogated for 6 days by the so-called “law enforcement agencies” of the occupation authorities after the apprehension. As they stated, the interrogators were the FSB officers. Later, they were released and returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine.

In early April, the information about Vlad Ginevich, who died in one of the district police departments on March 28, appeared in social networks. He was 18 years old. It is reported that he was taken to the “police” due to the truancies in the technical school, and the “preventive work” was conducted. On the funeral, the participants saw the signs of torture and beating on Vlad’s body. Vlad was suffocated with a plastic bag and beaten on the head by the “police”.

On April 5, it was a report on the conviction of Olga Mykhailivna Gubkina, born in 1963, the “head of the personnel work section of the State Property Fund of DPR” under “Espionage” article by the so-called “Ministry of State Security of DPR”. The so-called “supreme court of DPR” found her guilty of committing a crime under Article 321 “Espionage” of the “Criminal Code of DPR”, and sentenced her to ten years of imprisonment in a general penal colony. It is reported that she was systematically passed classified information to the SBU. On April 11, the occupation administration of the occupied Donetsk region reported that the resident of Artemovsk, city under control of Ukrainian authorities, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for espionage in favor of Ukrainian special services by the “military tribunal of DPR”. From May 2016 to January 2017, he allegedly collected the information about the deployment of military units of “DPR”, as well as photos of military equipment and military personnel, and passed the data to the special services of Ukraine.

On April 23, the occupation administration of the occupied Donetsk region reported that the resident of Komsomolske town in Starobesheve district was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 10 years in prison by “the sentence of the military tribunal on the rights of the chamber of the

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HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS MONITORING IN THE NON-GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED AREAS OF LUHANSK AND DONETSK REGIONS APRIL, 2018

Supreme Court of DPR”. In the period from May to July 2017, while fulfilling the task of the SBU, the “convict” made mobile photo and video records of command personnel and military transport of the “armed forces of DPR” and passed the data to the SBU. On April 11, the “LPR military court” sentenced the former serviceman of the so-called “People’s Militia of LPR” to 12 years of imprisonment for espionage in favor of the special services of Ukraine.

It is reported that Eduard Mikheev, the resident of the Klenovy village, gathered and passed data on the “LPR People’s Militia” to the special services of Ukraine. In his defense, he said that he “does not consider himself a citizen of LPR and therefore had the right to cooperate with the SBU”.

In early April, 2018, the Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk region reported that in March the “military tribunal of the Supreme Court of DPR” had sentenced two defendants for being foreign spies.

An inhabitant of Komsomolske town, born in 1956, who allegedly cooperated with the Security Service, was convicted for “making numerous photos and videos of military personnel, equipment, buildings and structures as part of his cooperation”.

2.

Development of parallel legal system, advocacy, notary, courts

Also an inhabitant of Horlivka town, born in 1956, was convicted. He repeatedly collected information about military personnel, military equipment and facilities to perform the tasks of the SBU. 2. Development of parallel legal system, advocacy, notary, courts Russian occupation administrations and controlled media continue to inform local residents of the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the world public, about the “state bodies” activities and the results of such “work”. It should be noted that this activity has no legal basis and the main aim is to demonstrate the so-called “sovereignity” of the “republics”.

In these areas, the newly created so-called “Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for the Investigation of Poroshenko Regime War Crimes Against the Citizens of Ukraine” (“UPT”) continued its activity in April.

The latest meeting of the “UPT” was held on April 2, 2018 in Donetsk. The “second thematic block of accusations on creation of illegal armed groups” was discussed.

The so-called “Council of Ministers of LPR” and the MPs of the “People’s Council of LPR” report their activities in April.

On April 2, 2018, the resolution “On of certain issues related to the movement of goods by business entities of LPR and DPR through the administrative border between the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic” was adopted.

On April 3, 2018, the resolution “On Amendments to the Temporary Procedure for Settlements under Foreign Economic Agreements and Execution of Currency Regulation” and the resolution “On Establishing of Import Customs Duty Rates” were adopted.

On April 3, 2018, the law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Luhansk People’s Republic” was adopted by the MPs of the so-called “People’s Council”, they stated, that the law “will help to accelerate the beginning of the full functioning of the judicial system and the operation of the Supreme Court of the LPR”.

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From January 1 to April 18, 2018 3228 birth certificates, and 714 marriage certificates were registered by the territorial divisions of the Civil Status Registration Department of the Russian Federa-

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS MONITORING IN THE NON-GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED AREAS OF LUHANSK AND DONETSK REGIONS APRIL, 2018

tion’s occupation administration in the occupied territory of Donetsk region.

3.

Coercion for membership in “civil society” organizations and participation in “patriotic” and “social” actions of “LNR” and “DNR”. Involvement of children in propaganda

From April 10 to April 13, 17 licenses and license cards for 37 vehicles were issued by the so-called “Ministry of Transport”.

3. Coercion for membership in “civil society” organizations and participation in “patriotic” and “social” actions of “LPR” and “DPR”. Involvement of children in propaganda Military-patriotic propaganda and involvement in participation in “civil society” organization are actively spread among children, adolescents and youth on occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, controlled by the Russian Federation’s occupation administrations. The employees of budget enterprises and enterprises with so-called “external management” are actively enlisted in “civil society” organizations.

On April 29, 2018, children from the so-called “military-patriotic clubs” of Donetsk and Komsomolske visited the “Pyatnashka” disposition of the “international” brigade of pro-Russian militants.

This brigade took part in military operations against Ukrainian military since June 2014.

After the so-called “external management” came into power, the involvement of employees into “Donetsk republic” “civil movement” continues at the enterprises under control of the Russian occupation administration in the occupied Donetsk region, Thus, in April 2018, 60 members of the Yenakiyevo gas supply and gasification department of the “Donbassgaz” group of companies, the “Yenakiyevo metallurgical plant”, as well as the

4.

Violation of property right

“Yenakiyevo koksohimprom” and 89 employees of the so-called “Ministry of justice of DPR” joined the “Donetsk republic” “civil movement”.

4. Violation of property rights In April 2018, the process of so-called “nationalization” of enterprises that had previously operated under the jurisdiction of Ukraine or belonged to the citizens of Ukraine, who live in the territory controlled by Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, continued in the territories of “LPR”. The process of “searching for the owners” is widespread.

In April 2018, 25 announcements on the search of real and personal property owners was posted by he so-called “state revenue committee” of “LPR”.

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It should be noted that applications from owners are accepted within 60 days from the date of the announcement. Otherwise, the enterprises will pass under the control of the “republic”.