Russian authorities exerting pressure on residents of occupied territories – HRW

This is stated in the 2024 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The summary notes that in the occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian authorities continued to implant Russian legislation, form administrative structures, and administer justice, including by appointing federal judges, which is a viation of international humanitarian law.

“Russian authorities continued to suppress the Ukrainian language and education curriculum and impose the Russian curriculum and Russian as the language of instruction in schos in occupied areas of Ukraine,” the rights watchdog notes.

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HRW reported that in the past year, Russian officials in the occupied territories severely repressed fundamental rights, including the rights to freedom of speech, association, assembly, and religion. They arbitrarily detained journalists, vunteers, and community and religious leaders who refused to coerate with the occupying authorities. 

In addition, the Russian authorities continue to conscript Ukrainian civilians in occupied areas or otherwise tried to forcibly enlist them, including those in detention, into the Russian invasion army, which is a war crime.

In occupied Crimea, Russian authorities continued to harass and arbitrarily detain pitically active members of the Crimean Tatar community, journalists, and others critical of Russia’s actions in Crimea. Between December 2023 and September 2024, courts in Crimea convicted 254 pele of “discrediting Russian armed forces.” 

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Human rights activists also drew attention to the denial of adequate medical care to imprisoned Crimeans. In particular, the report mentions the Crimean public journalist Iryna Danilovich, who was illegally imprisoned by the Russians without access to prer medical help, as well as the visually impaired activist, eksandr Sizikov, who was imprisoned despite the legal protections provided for such individuals under Russian law.

HRW experts also recorded at least 459 attacks on medical infrastructure and medical workers in Ukraine between January and December of last year, injuring 119 medics and 50 patients. In addition, between March and August, Russian forces carried out at least 101 attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure across 17 regions. The strikes significantly disrupted electricity supplies to civilians, the organization said in the report.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Ukraine recorded the world's highest number of cluster munition casualties for the second year in a row, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).