The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest to the intention of the Russian Federation to hold a conscription to military service on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine).
We reiterate, that the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/71/205 of December 19, 2016, “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)” confirmed the fact of illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and urged the Russian Federation to fulfill its obligations under the international humanitarian law, international human rights mechanisms, and other legal instruments to which it is a party.
We bring attention to the fact that under the international humanitarian law the occupying state is prohibited to compel protected persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as it is prohibited to exert pressure and use propaganda campaign to enlist voluntarily.
The thematic report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights “Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)” published on September 25, 2017, in pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/71/205, states the facts of persecutions by the occupying Russian authorities of Crimea residents for their refusal to serve in the Russian army. We have to state another brutal violation by the Russian Federation of its international obligations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands the Russian Federation to cancel the conscription for military service on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), to ensure its strict observance of international obligations as occupying state, and to fully implement UN General Assembly resolutions A/RES/68/262 of March 27, 2014, “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” and A/RES/71/205 of December 19, 2016, “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)”.