APPEAL TO PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU ON THE RUSSIAN ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA
August 9, 2016
The International Council in Support of Ukraine, in conjunction with the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists of Stepan Bandera, condemns the plan to conduct elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation on September 18, 2016 in the temporary occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. We appeal to Prime Minister Trudeau to not recognize the election results and to encourage other governments to do likewise.
As stated in the appeal issued by the OUN(b) on August 7, 2016: “The Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine, and the occupation of its sovereign territory was not recognized and was duly condemned by an absolute majority countries as confirmed by UN General Assembly resolution of 27 March 2014, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of 25 June 2015.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation created its terrorist organizations "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Luhansk People's Republic" in order to wage war against Ukraine, and to carry out mass terror against civilians in the temporarily occupied territories, in violation of universally recognized norms of international law. After Russia illegally annexed Crimea, the occupying forces brutally persecuted Ukrainians, and systematically suppressed the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, forcing many to leave their historic homeland.
The next step in consolidating the violent occupation of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and its incorporation into the Russian Federation is to be elections to the Russian legislature - the State Duma. Use of a democratic society’s forms of expression - the right to peacefully protest, or to boycott elections is dangerous for the residents of the Crimea, "I warn you that that the isolation cells in many jails are free in Magadan, and other northern districts – Russia’s huge and the winters are severe" – from the election platform of Natalia Poklonskaya, Russia’s Procurator for Crimea and candidate for the State Duma from Putin's "United Russia" political party.
According to national and international law, such pseudo-elections in Crimea are legally null and void, have no legal legitimacy, and will not be recognized neither by Ukraine nor the international community.
Moreover, the Russian Federation State Duma elections are to be held under a mixed electoral system, whereby 225 deputies are to be elected by the nationwide federal lists of candidates (that will also include the inhabitants of the occupied Crimea), and 225 candidates are to be elected- in single mandate districts (four of which were created by occupation administration in the Crimea). Therefore, the election results cannot be recognized not only in the four single mandate districts in Crimea, but also for the 225 deputies elected on the nationwide federal list.
The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists calls on law enforcement agencies of Ukraine to take all appropriate measures to prosecute those responsible for organizing, conducting and participating in illegal election to the aggressor’s state legislature in the occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists appealed to the President, the Parliament, and the Government of Ukraine, and to international organizations, governments of democratic states to prevent the illegal elections to the legislature of the aggressor country to take place in the occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. And, in the event that elections are held that they not be recognized and dully condemned, including the election to the nationwide federal lists and the four single mandate districts in occupied Crimea.
We call on all Ukrainian citizens under illegal occupation in Crimea to boycott the elections and not be complicit in violating the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The occupation is temporary! Ukraine is eternal!”
Given the abovementioned statement, the International Council in Support of Ukraine calls on Prime Minister Trudeau to stand with Ukraine and not recognize the brutal annexation of Crimea and the impending elections to be held there on September 18, 2016. Sanctions must be maintained and increased if the elections are held in Crimea. The international community must stand firm until Ukrainian sovereignty is fully restored in Crimea and in all areas under Russian occupation.
