Secretary General Jagland sends Swiss diplomat Gérard Stoudmann to lead
delegation
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Thorbjørn Jagland, has announced his decision to send a delegation to Crimea
today to assess the human right situation on the peninsula.
“More than 2.5 million people
live in Crimea, they are all covered by the European Convention on Human Rights and should
be able to benefit from it,” Jagland said.
“However, for more than a
year, no delegation from an international organisation has been able to go
there.”
“The mission will be conducted
with full independence and will not deal with any issue related to the
territorial status of Crimea,” Jagland stressed. “It will help us receive clear
and comprehensive information on the human
rights situation andmake sure the people
of Crimea are not forgotten.”
The mission's mandate covers
all major human rights issues including freedom of expression and media
freedom; freedom of association and of assembly; minority rights; local and
self-government; fight against corruption and prison conditions.
Ambassador Stoudmann will be
assisted by three members of the Council of Europe Secretariat.
The mission which starts in Crimea
today will conclude with a report and recommendations submitted to the
Secretary General in late February or March.
No comments:
Post a Comment