Crimea Asks UN To Launch Probe Over Ukraine's Water Blockade Of Peninsula - Official

Crimea Asks UN to Launch Probe Over Ukraine's Water Blockade of Peninsula - Official

Crimea has sent a request to the United Nations asking to investigate the water blockade of the peninsula by Ukraine, Alexander Molokhov, the head of a working group on international legal issues in the permanent mission of Crimea under the president of Russia, told Sputnik on Monday

SIMFEROPOL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2020) Crimea has sent a request to the United Nations asking to investigate the water blockade of the peninsula by Ukraine, Alexander Molokhov, the head of a working group on international legal issues in the permanent mission of Crimea under the president of Russia, told Sputnik on Monday.

In June, Natalya Poklonskaya, the deputy chairwoman of the Russian lower house's committee on international affairs, sent a message to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urging the agency to condemn the actions of the Ukrainian authorities that had unilaterally shut down the water supply to the peninsula, and calling for measures to ensure the supply of Dnieper water through the North Crimean Canal.

"A request to organize an appropriate investigation in connection with a water blockade of the Crimean peninsula by Ukraine was sent to UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights Alena Douhan," Molokhov said.

Apart from that, a complaint by the Crimean fish factory in the town of Krasnoperekopsk about Ukraine's actions in connection with the water blockade would be submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, the official added.

The Crimean Peninsula rejoined Russia after nearly 97 percent of voters supported the move in a 2014 referendum. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian authorities insist that the territory was illegally seized from them by Russia, which Moscow strongly denies.

Subsequently, Kiev cut the water supply to the peninsula, which previously relied on Ukraine for 85 percent of its freshwater needs.