Putin limits rights of Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories
A mural depicting Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Cologne, Germany (Photo:REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree
that limits the "legal
status" of residents of temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine’s Donetsk,
Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
According to the document, published on April 27 on the Kremlin’s website, residents of the areas Moscow claims it has annexed will be considered foreigners if they refuse to receive a Russian passport. Putin's regime can then potentially deport these people if they pose a perceived "threat to national security."
The document mandates that residents of occupied territories receive Russian passports by September 30, 2023, with exceptions made for those who refuse. These individuals can remain in their place of residence without obtaining a passport until July 1, 2024.
The new "decree" has been criticized by many, including Amnesty International Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Denis Krivosheev, who stated it violates human rights and could be considered a war crime. Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar has further alleged that Russia is attempting to change the ethnic composition of the population in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Earlier on April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing the forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their involvement in unlawful removal of children from Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.
On Sept. 30, 2022, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a treaty that claims Russia has formally annexed Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
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