Friday, December 11, 2015
Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-318
Washington, DC
United StatesTitle
Human Rights Violations in Russian-Occupied Crimea
Official Transcript:
Staff:
Name:
Orest Deychakiwsky
Title Text:
Policy Advisor
Body:
Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Name:
Jonas Wechsler
Title Text:
State Department Senior Adviser
Body:
Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Witnesses:
Name:
Ivanna Bilych
Title:
Co-founder and President; Board Member
Body:
VOLYA Institute; Ukrainian American Bar Association
Statement:
Name:
Yuriy Yatsenko
Title:
Activist of the Maidan Revolution of Dignity who was Illegally Imprisoned in Russia on Political Grounds and Recently Released After a Year of Imprisonment
Statement:
Name:
Andriy Klymenko
Title:
Prominent Economist, Originally from Crimea; Chief Editor
Body:
Black Sea News
Statement:
Name:
Bohdan Yaremenko
Title:
Former Ukrainian Diplomat; Chairman of the Board
Body:
Ukrainian Non-Governmental Organization, Maidan of Foreign Affairs
Statement:
The briefing reviewed the current condition of life in Crimea under Russian rule. Panelists highlighted the illegal nature of Russian rule over the peninsula and described the human rights abuses commited by the new authorities. Several of the panelists described the propaganda campaign and censorship that the Russian government has been carrying out to tighten its grip on the peninsula.
Participants also outlined possible responses by the international community -- particularly sanctions -- to address the situation in Crimea.
Relevant issues:
Relevant countries: