Maybe we will have a new round of repression in Crimea

International organizations and some governments have repeatedly stated violation of human rights in the Crimea. However, on the peninsula it runs very few human rights organizations, which collect information on what is happening there. Perhaps the only such association is the Crimean field mission on Human Rights. Its coordinator Alexander Krylenkova in an interview for “Krym.Realii” told me how difficult it is to her and her colleagues work in the Crimea, and assessed the current situation on the peninsula.

– Alexander, you are in it for the field work in the Crimean field mission?

– Yes.

– What is it?

– Once a month, an international team of monitors arrived in the Crimea and collect information about the human rights violations taking place there.

– And how this information is collected?

– We talk with people documenting oral sources, write in detail the circumstances of violations of human rights, collect documents confirming these facts.

– Are you a Russian human rights activist. Why in the Crimea working monitors from Russia, not Ukraine?

– Not only Russia, there is a Belarusian human rights activists, but mostly Russian. Because it’s a little safer for us. We’re a little more accustomed to this area, these authorities, these methods. Easier for us.

– Simply because you know more or less because you touch?

– On the one hand, and attention to us a little less, and we are accustomed to them, and they to us. But, first of all, because they treat us differently.

– But still some problems arise?

– Of course.

– What does this mean?

– It is basically a house is expressed in the Crimea rare. In the Crimea still different attitude, because we are from Moscow or St. Petersburg. And at home – and the pressure and threats.

– Crimean field mission – is the only organization that monitors human rights in the Crimea?

– Systematically and regularly, so that every month constantly gather information – yes.

– Do you have enough people to collect full information about what is happening on the peninsula, or there is a need to be strengthened?

– There is an urgent need in international organizations, because today, unfortunately, we are the sole source of information, in addition to vnutrikrymskih. But vnutrikrymskie outside need to understand, assess their credibility and so on. And they are very sketchy: a separate story here, one – here. Sometimes they make the Crimean journalists, already almost gone, but still a little bit there, or some Crimean activists. This information is much more valuable than ours, because it first-hand. But our – system.

Are lacking in international organizations, including human rights, for example, Amnesty International, Human rights watch – known international organizations, who would travel with their missions and conduct their monitoring, to give expert advice. They come, but very rarely. Also lack of official visits: the UN, the OSCE.

– Why not? After all, for example, the Donbas and international official organizations have their representatives.

– It is up to the present day has been agreed upon by hard race. As usual work such organizations? They coordinate their visits with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which the travel. In accordance with the plan of the visit official visits work there.

And in the Crimea, they can not operate an official mission, because they have to negotiate this with the Ukraine and to enter through Ukraine. Accordingly, they are inconsistent in Russia, and it is unclear on what basis at the Russian border guards must be base to let them in. They do not go on visas and diplomatic documents. Accordingly, they should be coordinated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visit to the Crimea to coordinate through the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – also somehow strange.

That is, it used to be difficult, and the adoption of new rules of entry to the Crimea, it has become impossible.

– Why? How did the new order entry will affect the work of foreign human rights defenders?

– In my opinion, the new rules of entry to the Crimea in fact satisfied with the information blockade of the Crimea. Only Crimean activists will be able to get from the Crimea with his information to the outside world.

To obtain a special permit to enter the peninsula there is a limited and closed list of grounds on which people can get these permissions. They do not have any human rights work or journalism, there is no reason for any independent organizations. Entry is possible only for individuals who have property or relatives there. Thus, neither journalists nor human rights are not lawyers from other countries can not legally enter the territory of Crimea.

Then all those people who are not interested in getting a degree of legality on the Peninsula, a perfect way can continue to get there via Russia and further relax in peace.

– Accordingly, foreign journalists are now able to get to the Crimea exclusively through the territory of Russia?

– If foreign journalists want to enter Crimea and not to violate the law of Ukraine, they have such an opportunity to do, because the journalistic activity is not included in the list of grounds for obtaining special permits.

– But violated Ukrainian legislation and came to the peninsula of Russia, journalists will be able to work in the Crimea?

– Yes, but if after that the journalist in his name published an article about the situation in the Crimea, and this, for example, will be known to law enforcement bodies of Ukraine, they can bring a criminal case against him for illegally crossing the border. At least they have it will never be allowed into the territory of Ukraine.

– In the current realities in Crimea difficult to get Ukrainian and foreign human rights defenders. The fewest obstacles exist to work on a peninsula at your Russian colleagues. How actively the Russian human rights community is interested in the problems in the Crimea, and whether he is ready to make efforts for the protection of human rights on the peninsula?

– There is a very complex problem, which lies in the moral and ethical field of human rights protection because conventional methods involve interaction with legal and government institutions. All of the methods we are able to work – is to demand something from the authorities or go to court. We have two options. But there is information work.

In the Crimea does, without question, we can only perform the function of the information. With the rest having difficulty. Can we apply to the courts? Russian courts in the Crimea does not have a reason for their being there. And if they themselves Crimeans served, to help them in this case it is possible? These are very difficult questions.

And, by the way if handled about human rights violations to the authorities? By Aksenov? Or Putin? And the Ukrainian authorities can not ensure respect for human rights in the Crimea.

Now there is a coalition of Ukrainian and Russian human rights defenders who together try to solve these problems, to seek methods. Together, they apply to the European Court of Justice for a variety of situations in the Crimea.

There Crimean field mission – a joint Russian-Ukrainian initiative, which works on the territory of Crimea, and so on.

We try to solve these problems. And I think it’s the interests of human rights defenders do not abut in the absence of more responsibility for what is happening there, but rather in the absence of clear tools for the job.

– Does the Crimea human rights activists, who not only collect information, but also provide legal assistance? Are there lawyers who are ready to conduct political affairs?

– In the Crimea there are literally 4 or 5 lawyers who work for political affairs. While they are subjected to pressure from time to time. Most human rights organizations who worked at the time of last March, there now are not working. They were forced to leave under pressure and threat to life and health.

Gradually, however, created some internal groups. In particular, there is Crimean contact the human rights group, which is organized by the parents of children who had been abducted in the Crimea. They were joined by attorneys and lawyers. They are very active right now to collect information and direct assistance.

– Can we say that the main rink of political repression had already rolled in the Crimea, and now a thaw?

– The fact that so it seemed. Last summer it seemed that it became easier. Began some “administrativki” fines. And then came the autumn, during which lost several young men. For some people, there is evidence that speak of their abduction. Then they started en masse to plant. And then they began to let go of those who put on the case of “May 3”, under a subscription. And once again began to feel that seems to already easier.

Now, it seems that it became smaller violations. But that was a statement Poklonsky, just been on the list of 100 people allegedly involved in the Maidan, for which it is necessary to initiate criminal proceedings. Perhaps we are on the threshold of a new round of repression. In the Crimea, it is impossible to think anything, but I would like to believe the best.

Sourse, 16/06/2015