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Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: Russia must take responsibility for violations of international law and human rights in Crimea

On 12 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis attended the United Nations Security Council's informal high-level virtual meeting "Crimea: 7 years of violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity", which was organised by Estonia.

“Lithuania’s position on Russia's illegal actions in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol remains unchanged. We will never recognise the illegal annexation of the peninsula and Sevastopol, and will continue to raise the issue with the international community. Russia, as an occupying power, must take responsibility for the violations of international law and human rights in Crimea,” said Lithuania's Foreign Minister.

Landsbergis called on the international community to continue increasing political pressure by imposing sanctions on Russia, demanding full respect for international law and human rights, and condemning Russia’s concrete actions — a forced integration of Crimea with the Russian Federation and its ongoing militarization of the peninsula.

During the Arria-formula meeting, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York Ilze Brands Kehris presented the report of the OHCHR mission highlighting the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea, systematic restrictions on freedom of religion and belief, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. It was emphasised that Russia consolidated permanent military presence on the peninsula and continued changing the demographic structure of the population. Arbitrary arrests, forced conscription, deportation or transfer of residents of Crimea —mostly ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars — are continuing.

 The meeting was co-sponsored by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and Ukraine.