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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine parliament speaker signs decree on lifting human rights obligations in Donbas

In comments to the move, Russia’s OSCE envoy told a session of the OSCE Permanent Council that the decision come in order to legalize criminal lawlessness of Kiev troops in Donbas

Volodymyr Groysman Maxim Nikitin/TASS

Volodymyr Groysman

© Maxim Nikitin/TASS

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Russian upper house speaker criticizes Kiev’s refusal to observe human rights in Donbas

KIEV, May 25. /TASS/. Ukraine’s parliament speaker Volodymyr Groysman signed a decree on Monday on endorsing last week’s statement of MPs on refusing to guarantee protection of human rights in the country’s east, the parliament’s website has said.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a statement on "Ukraine’s rescinding its commitments outlined in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Social Charter." Thursday’s second reading of the decree was passed by 249 votes in the parliament, 23 more than the minimum required.

An explanatory note to the document says that in view of Ukraine’s inability to protect human rights to the fullest extent on the territory of the military operation in Donbas and citing the need to repel Russia’s "aggression," Kiev has to temporarily rescind its commitments to upholding certain human rights.

In comments to the move, Russia’s OSCE envoy Andrei Kelin told a session of the OSCE Permanent Council that the decision come in order to legalize criminal lawlessness of Kiev troops in Donbas.

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