Kiev refuses to guarantee human rights protection in east Ukraine conflict zone

KIEV, May 21. /TASS/. Ukraine has refused to guarantee protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the zone of military operations in the east.

The Ukrainian parliament has backed a decree allowing the country to rescind 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 Verkhovna Rada, 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 in compliance with its obligations under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Social Charter, in its revised version, and in connection with "the objective need to take measures to repel armed aggression of the Russian Federation, Ukraine has to temporarily rescind its commitments to upholding certain human rights [in the zone of military operations] within the limits permitted by relevant international agreements".

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