Council of Europe calls on Russia to open Crimea for monitoring

Crimea should be opened for regular monitoring by the Council of Europe in order to protect the rights of 2.5 million people. 

Swiss diplomat Gerard Stoudmann, who had visited Crimea in early 2016, said this in a report represented at a sitting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasburg, the organization’s press service told own Ukrinform correspondent.

"Crimea should be again opened for regular monitoring by the Council of Europe in order to protect the rights of 2.5 million people living there. The report is a result of the visit of the Council of Europe’s delegation, sent by Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland to the peninsula after 18 months of absence of any international organization on this territory,” reads the statement.

According to the Secretary General, the Council of Europe has a mandate to protect people in any part of the continent and under any circumstances.

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