UN monitoring mission systematizes facts of eviction of Crimean people from social housing by occupiers
The UN Monitoring Mission for Human Rights in Ukraine published an Information Note "Social Housing in Crimea", which recorded the facts of violation by the occupiers of the right of Ukrainian citizens to social housing. We are talking about at least 73 "lawsuits" of the occupying power of Crimea during 2016-2019 intending to evict Crimean people who started living in social and other state-provided housing long before the occupation.
This is stated in the Mission's note of 19 November.
After the large-scale "nationalization" of the Ukrainian state, municipal and private real estate in Crimea, the occupiers in 2016 "checked the legality" of the allocation of social and other public housing provided to Crimeans before the occupation and obliged them to conclude new "social lease agreements" under with Russian law.
According to the results of the "inspection", the occupiers initiated at least 73 "lawsuits" to evict the Crimean people from social housing. 45 of these "cases" involving 78 people (28 men, 41 women, 9 children - 6 boys and 3 girls) ended in eviction.
At the same time, 35 tenants (16 men, 17 women, and 2 children) filed "lawsuits" for refusing to enter into a new agreement with Russia. The "court" rejected their claims, thus jeopardizing their stay in social housing.
Besides, as noted in the Information Note, in violation of international human rights law, the "courts" applied the provisions of Russian law when "assessing the legality" of state housing to Ukrainians, refused to apply the statute of limitations, and did not conduct any analysis of the proportionality of the eviction and its compliance with the legitimate purpose. In all cases considered by the UN, the victims were not compensated and were not provided with alternative housing.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Russian "authorities" in Crimea to respect the right of all Crimean residents to adequate housing and to ensure that access to social housing is consistent with the principle of non-discrimination.
What is known
- The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly has declared illegal all Russian authorities in occupied Crimea.
