Foreign Ministry: Russia violates UN Court’s order on Mejlis

20.07.2018 09:32

Ukrinform

Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation to implement the order by the UN International Court of Justice on lifting a ban on the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said this in a statement issued on Thursday, July 19.

“Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation to live up to its international obligations by promptly suspending its ban on the Mejlis, as required by the Court’s original Order and its reaffirmation of that Order today,” reads the statement.

The Foreign Ministry reminded that on Thursday, July 19, the International Court of Justice informed the Agent of Ukraine – Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal on its position regarding the implementation by the Russian Federation of the Court’s Order of 19 April 2017, which required Russia to “refrain from maintaining or imposing limitations on the ability of the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions, including the Mejlis.”

“The Russian Federation has failed to lift its ban on the Mejlis, first imposed in April 2016. In letters to the Parties today, the Court has reaffirmed the binding nature of its Order and directed Russia to report on concrete steps taken to implement it by 18 January 2019,” reads the statement.

The Foreign Ministry also stressed that “continued defiance by Russia of the World Court’s binding orders will not be accepted.”