EU should strengthen sanctions against Russia because of repression in Crimea - human rights activists

Mykhailo Gonchar, the President of the Centre for Global Studies "Strategy XXI", said this during a press conference in Kyiv, he was supported by Head of the Crimean Human Rights Group Olga Skrypnyk , an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We do not just state the fact of illegal actions and violations of human rights, but we demand that our European partners tighten the sanctions regime due to repressive actions not only against our colleagues but against all those who came under any form of repression in the occupied territories, especially in Crimea," Gonchar said.

According to him, now there are about 40 persons under repression, and independent lawyers do not have access to nine of them.

The initiative to tighten sanctions against the Russian Federation because of repression against Ukrainians in Crimea was supported by Head of the Crimean Human Rights Group Olga Skrypnyk , who noted that the issue of sanctions against Russia would be again relevant in June.

"The issue of sanctions, the search for mechanisms of pressure on Russia will be again relevant in the near future, as in June there will be a new session of the PACE and one of the EU sanctions packages against Russia will come to an end and this issue will be on the agenda," she said.

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