The woman was detained by Russian security forces in April, her whereabouts and condition are still unknown.
Russian occupiers in Crimea on April 29 detained citizen journalist Iryna Danilovich on her way home from work. The security forces did not report her whereabouts after the “detention”, but said they had arrested her for 10 days. However, as of May 7, it is still unknown where Danilovich is. The public demands the release of a citizen journalist in the occupied Crimea. The statement was issued by the ZMINA Center for Human Rights.
“Occupying law enforcement agencies are not taking effective measures to find Iryna Danilovich. Iryna's father and lawyer filed a complaint with several authorities in Crimea regarding the abduction, but received no response. In addition, there was information that there was a video of Irina's abduction, but Russian law enforcement agencies for a long time refused to attach this video to the case file and provide her father with a copy, “said a joint statement from human rights activists and public activists.
It is stated that the abduction of Iryna Danilovich has signs of enforced disappearance in accordance with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. In addition to the fact that Irina Danilovich's whereabouts and condition are currently unknown, she does not have access to a lawyer. This means that the journalist is deprived of the opportunity to use legal aid.
“While the main attention of the international community is focused on the mass atrocities of Russian troops on mainland Ukraine, the repression of the Russian occupation administration in Crimea remains virtually unnoticed. Arbitrary searches, arrests, torture in places of detention, sentences in politically motivated criminal cases and other gross human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity continue on the occupied peninsula, “the statement said.
The signatories noted that the abduction of Iryna Danilovich in Crimea against the background of large-scale enforced disappearances in Kherson, Zaporizhia and other occupied regions of Ukraine indicates a real threat to life, health and freedom for public activists, human rights defenders and others in all temporary territories. under the control of Russian occupation forces. It is stated that from 2014 to 2021, according to the Crimea, 44 people became victims of enforced disappearances in the occupied Crimea, the fate and whereabouts of 15 of them are still unknown.
In view of the above, the signatories appeal to the international community, in particular:
- the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
- issues of arbitrary detention;
- UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
- UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders;
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
- Secretary General of the Council of Europe;
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights;
- Council of Europe Steering Committee on Media and Information Society;
- PACE Committee on Legal and Human Rights;
- PACE Rapporteur-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders;/li>
- EU representatives;
- European External Action Service;
- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media;
- Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe;
- International Committee of the Red Cross.
Human rights defenders and activists call on the international community :
- demand that Russia urgently establish the whereabouts and release Irina Danilovich, as well as all other victims of enforced disappearances in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol;
- provide assistance to the Government of Ukraine in finding and investigating cases of enforced disappearances in the occupied territories;
- provide comprehensive support to victims of enforced disappearances, their relatives and other victims of serious human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied territories
- continue to monitor and document human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Crimea and include their regular reports on the human rights situation in Ukraine.
In addition, the signatories appealed to foreign governments to:
- increase diplomatic, sanctions and other pressure on Russia to accelerate the deoccupation of Crimea, Donbass and all other territories of Ukraine;
- impose personal sanctions against Russian officials and employees of the occupation administration involved in enforced disappearances and other gross human rights violations in all occupied territories of Ukraine;
- to provide comprehensive support to victims of enforced disappearances, their relatives and victims of other gross human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity in all occupied territories of Ukraine;
- use the mechanism of universal jurisdiction to prosecute perpetrators of violent disappearances, torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity in all occupied territories of Ukraine.
The joint statement was signed by:
- CrimeaSOS
- Regional Center for Human Rights
- Crimea Human Rights House
- ZMINA Human Rights Center
- Civil Liberties Center
- Institute of Mass Media
- Ukrainian Independent Center of Political Studies
- Cherkasy Human Rights Center
- Open Dialogue Foundation
- National Council of Ukrainians of Crimea
- Tavriya Humanitarian Platform
- Human Rights Center ACTION
- Crimean Human Rights Group
- Almenda Civic Education Center
- Owl Expert Group
- Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners
- Media Initiative for Human Rights
- Union of Internally Displaced Persons
- Crimean Center for Business and Cultural Cooperation “Ukrainian House”.
Read also: The Occupation Court in Crimea left in jail Dzhelyalov and two other Crimean Tatars
Recall, the State Committee of Ukraine for television and radio broadcasting recorded 243 crimes of Russian aggressors against Ukrainian journalists and media . Russia has committed the most crimes in Kyiv and the region. These include killings, injuries, disappearances, abductions, shelling of journalists and TV towers, threats, cybercrime.
A total of seven journalists were killed in the line of duty during the war, 15 went missing, 14 died as combatants or as a result of Russian shelling not in the course of their professional duties, 9 were injured as a result of shelling by the Russian occupiers, 8 journalists were abducted and abducted.
