Ambassador Michael G. Kozak’s speech at the OSCE Conference in Warsaw on the Human Dimension

Warsaw Human Dimension Conference: Plenary Session V
The rights of persons belonging to national minorities; Treatment of citizens of other countries and human rights of migrants; Roma and Sinti issues; Equal opportunities and rights for women and men; Violence against women and children
As prepared for delivery by Ambassador Michael G. Kozak,
Head of the American Delegation,
Warsaw
September 30, 2022

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Russian aggression against independent, multi-ethnic Ukraine, from its 2014 invasion of Crimea to its all-out war today, has caused great harm to Ukrainian citizens of all backgrounds, including those who are ethnic Russians. In the parts of Ukraine that Russia controls or occupies, ethnic groups that Russia considers threats to its rule are targeted for repression or worse.

Russian authorities continue to harass and imprison indigenous Crimean Tatars, as well as ethnic Ukrainians and others who engage in peaceful opposition to the occupation. Dozens of people have been arrested and sentenced to long prison terms, such as Nariman Dzhelyal, deputy speaker of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis. The occupying authorities in Crimea even target lawyers defending the Crimean Tatars; some have also been detained during court proceedings while defending their clients, and four, including three of Crimea’s leading human rights lawyers, were expelled by the Russian government over the summer. These tactics have included denying procedural protections to those targeted: attorneys were not informed of the charges against them, and in two cases were not informed of expungement hearings until they had concluded.

Putin has justified his flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by claiming that there is no independent Ukrainian identity. Russian propaganda, its barbaric filtering operations and forced deportations, and even the curriculum it imposes on schools in the cities and towns it captures are aimed at Russifying these areas and suppressing Ukraine’s rich democratic history and culture, which form its unique identity.

Russia has stepped up its passporting campaign in Ukraine, forcing hundreds of thousands of citizens from Ukraine in areas it controls or occupies to acquire citizenship of the Russian Federation and lose their Ukrainian passports. Now, as part of his effort to forcefully change Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, Putin claims to have annexed parts of its territory. Russia’s illegal actions regarding the alleged annexation cannot stand under international law.

Meanwhile, within Russia there is socioeconomic discrimination and state-sponsored harassment against Chechens, Tatars, Dagestanis, Buryats, and members of other minority groups, as well as migrant workers from Central Asian states.

Another minority group suffering because of Russia’s war against Ukraine are the Roma. The Roma have historically faced oppression in Europe and were victims of genocide during World War II. Racism and discrimination continue today as Roma are among the more than seven million refugees who have fled Ukraine since February.

The OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities has noted that the Roma face special displacement challenges. Some discrimination against Roma fleeing the Russian war against Ukraine appears to be by local or private actors. For example, there are reports that some families offering rooms to refugees would only accept white refugees, and that some volunteers distributing food and water would turn away Roma, claiming they were not genuine refugees. Without access to private accommodation, Roma refugees have had to rely on host country governments, which can result in placement in segregated facilities that are not designed for long-term accommodation, but only for short-term transit. Roma who have refused to live in such conditions are said to have been told that this disqualifies them from receiving further aid.

The plight of Roma refugees is also complicated by systemic issues that Roma have long faced, such as lack of official documentation and statelessness. They may have difficulty proving they are from Ukraine, or they may be denied help in countries that require refugees to have a travel document with an exit stamp.

The United States is working with Ukraine, countries that generously host record numbers fleeing Russian violence, and humanitarian partners to help ensure that everyone, including Roma, is treated in accordance with states’ international legal obligations.

The use of conflict-related sexual violence by members of Russian forces in Ukraine against women, children and men has been well documented, including in both OSCE Moscow Mechanism reports, which mention the use of rape and other forms of conflict-related sexual violence. against women and children, including gang rape and rape in front of family members. Some women reported being held in basements by Russian troops and raped for weeks. Bodies of victims showing signs of gender-based violence have been found in areas retaken by the Russian army. Rape as a weapon of war is recognized under international humanitarian law as a war crime.

The United States is concerned about minority issues and gender equality in other areas of the OSCE region, including our country.

Some members of the Serbian political leadership continue to use ethnic slurs to denigrate minorities, while the Albanian minority is disproportionately subject to passivation, where individuals deemed non-resident by the police lose personal documents and access to health, education and social services. The protection of language and identity in North Macedonia continues to be essential as it progresses towards its EU membership. Members of ethnic minority groups in Kosovo continue to face various levels of institutional and social discrimination. Discrimination in the form of violence and harassment exacerbate ethno-nationalist divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There are recent reports of Turkmenistan imposing new restrictions on women in the name of traditional values, even though there is no formal law banning women from driving. Police have fined drivers for allowing women to sit in the front seat of a car. Earlier, there were also complaints about women drivers not being able to drive and being harassed when they choose to drive.

In Kyrgyzstan, bride kidnapping, although illegal, continues to occur with tragic consequences.

From the American Mission in Russia | October 4, 2022 | Topics: Europe and Eurasia, Fundamental Freedoms, Human Rights, Key Officials, News, Press Releases, Speeches