On 13-15 June 2018, Crimea-focused lawyer of UHHRU Anastasiya Martynovska, as a member of Ukrainian delegation, took part in the advocacy event “Ukrainadagarna 2018” [Days of Ukraine 2018][1] in Stockholm, Sweden.

The event consisted of a number of activities such as panel discussions, informal meetings, visit to the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, watching and discussing a documentary touching upon political prisoners’ thematic. Overall, a variety of activities allowed to reach various audiences – dozens of members of the diplomatic corps, politicians, members of the Swedish and international human rights organizations, Swedish and Ukrainian community members, etc.

In course of this advocacy visit, Sweden-based participants were informed about systematic, numerous violations of the human rights and freedoms in the Crimea and NGCA of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts; called on the international community to continue and strengthen the pressure on the RF as the occupying power in order to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and ensure immediate release of imprisoned citizens of Ukraine. In support of our key messages, UHHRU lawyer Anastasiya Martynovska disseminated some factual information shaped as analytical law digest “Crimea beyond rules” (editions devoted to information occupation of Crimea, freedom of movement, as well as imposing Russian citizenship on the peninsula’s residents) and infographic memo on political prisoners. Besides, we managed to raise concern about the need to push the GOU towards ensuring the rights and freedoms of IDPs that are largely violated in Ukraine (i.e. issues of equal-right access to social payments, bank services and voting rights in the local elections). Furthermore, the issue of torturing of the political prisoners by occupational authorities, deportation of Crimeans from the peninsular, illegal transfer of Ukrainian civilians to the RF territory (including prisoners from Crimea and other regions of Ukraine entitled to serve their sentences in the peninsular) and Crimea’s colonization.

Just like during previous visits, the feedback received from the Swedish colleagues was positive and the Swedish MFA mentioned keeping Ukraine high on the agenda is their priority.

[1] Organized by Östgruppen (Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights) in cooperation with the Independent Anti-Corruption Committee, Reanimation Package of Reforms, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, Regional Center for Human Rights, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Crimean Human Rights Group, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Östgruppen works to strengthen democracy and to cast light on human rights abuses in Eastern Europe. By cooperating with foreign organizations, Östgruppen supports their important work, and through its volunteer and expert network in Sweden, it raises interest and increase knowledge about the situation in the focus countries (http://www.ostgruppen.se/about-us/).