SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
STATEMENT
ON VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS OF
UKRAINIAN CITIZENS BY THE AUTHORITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
THROUGH ILLEGAL PERSECUTION AND IMPRISONMENT
3 February 2017
Vilnius
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,
having regard
to the Statement of 29 December 2016 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
in connection with the repressions against the citizens of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and to
the Resolution of 19 December 2016 of the United Nations General Assembly on the situation of
human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine);
stressing
that the actions of the authorities of the Russian Federation against the citizens of Ukraine,
including politically motivated persecutions, illegal detention and imprisonment, and limiting the
right to consular protection, are incompatible with the commitments of the Russian Federation
under international law;
invites
the government and law enforcement authorities of the Russian Federation to respect the
rule of law and human rights, to responsibly fulfil its international commitment in this area, and to
immediately stop the politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian citizens;
urges
the authorities of the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally release all
illegally detained Ukrainian citizens and enable their return to their homeland;
appeals to
the United Nations Human Rights Council, the national parliaments of the European
Union and NATO Member States, the European Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assemblies of
NATO, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
urging them to responsibly assess the aforementioned and other human rights violations committed
by the authorities of the Russian Federation and to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to
ensure its compliance with international legal obligations.
Juozas Bernatonis
Chair of the Committee