The head of Crimea's Ukrainian community told Sputnik on Friday that she was not given a chance to say a word at the 12th Session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held under the aegis of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
SIMFEROPOL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2019) The head of Crimea's Ukrainian community told Sputnik on Friday that she was not given a chance to say a word at the 12th Session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held under the aegis of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva."The chairman of the forum took away my right to speak, preventing me from voicing my report. The fact that I was deprived of the right to speak on an international platform is contrary to all international standards. Our delegation will not leave this without demands for an explanation. An appeal will be sent to the forum's secretariat, as on what basis they deprived me of my words," Anastasia Gridchina said.
Earlier, the delegation from Kiev tried twice to interfere during the speech of the Russian deputy for Crimea, Ruslan Balbek.
"The Ukrainian delegation behaved in a rude and barbaric way. When I took the floor, they started to interrupt me and banged on the table with nameplates. They were outraged by the wording 'Republic of Crimea' and not 'Autonomous Republic of Crimea,' as well as by the organization I represented," Gridchina said.
Gridchina stressed that she planned to talk about the promotion of the Ukrainian language and culture in Crimea with the highest possible state support.
"The Ukrainian community takes an active part in the economic, socio-political and socio-cultural life of the republic, makes its significant contribution to the consolidation and strengthening of international unity and harmony on the peninsula," Gridchina noted.
Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014 after a referendum on the matter determined that 96 percent of the peninsula's voters were in favor of it. The reunification has not been recognized by Kiev or the majority of Western countries. Russia has repeatedly said the vote was held in compliance with international law.
A number of EU countries have since been denying visas to the Crimeans. The Russian authorities view these actions as a violation of fundamental human rights, namely the freedom of movement, and urge the EU to stop its discriminatory policy.
