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Crimean leader dismisses accusations of alleged ethnic discrimination on peninsula

On November 12, the UN General Assembly’s committee approved a resolution, condemning alleged discrimination against residents of the peninsula, including Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian minorities
Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov  Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

SIMFEROPOL, November 16. /TASS/. Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov roundly condemned a Ukrainian-sponsored resolution passed by a UN committee, citing that there has never been any ethnic-based human rights abuses on the Black Sea peninsula whatsoever.

"We have nothing to worry about - there is not now, nor has there ever been any abuse on ethnic grounds in Crimea," Aksyonov emphasized, adding that all international commissions may visit the republic should the Russian president make a respective decision. "If anyone wants to come and then …speak about the real situation, they are welcome."

The Crimean leader said so far no one who had visited Crimea as part of international organizations has told the truth.

On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee approved a resolution, condemning alleged discrimination and human rights abuses against residents of the peninsula, which include Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian minorities. The document was supported by 73 states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and European Union states. A total of 23 countries voted against, including Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Venezuela, China and India to name few, while another 76 abstained.