The Russian Federation continues to massively deprive Ukrainian citizens in the annexed Crimea of their property rights in violation of international law.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea conducts procedural management of the proceedings over the appropriation of state and private property by the occupying power in Crimea, the Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea posted on Facebook.

"The next step of the occupiers is the illegal inclusion of more than 11,500 land plots in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in the list of territories where the land plots cannot be owned by foreigners and foreign legal entities under the private property right. Furthermore, the occupying power illegitimately defines the citizens of Ukraine, who live or own property in Crimea but have not received an illegal passport of the Russian Federation, as foreigners," the statement reads.

It is noted that such actions of the occupying power entail serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, in particular the provisions of Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the ECHR on the right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions of every natural or legal person.

"Currently, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea conducts procedural management of the criminal proceedings over the massive appropriation of state and private property by the occupying power on the Crimean peninsula," the Representative Office added.

It is emphasized that the information about the systematic commission of such a war crime by the officials of the occupying power and Russian authorities was sent by the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea jointly with the Regional Center for Human Rights to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and reflected in the reports of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on the preliminary examination of the situation in Crimea for 2017-2019. The violation of property rights is also mentioned in the interstate lawsuit of Ukraine against the Russian Federation filed at the ECHR.

As reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to include practically the entire territory of the annexed Crimea to the list of territories where the land plots can be owned only by citizens of the Russian Federation. The list covers the land plots in Bakhchisaray, Dzhankoy, Kirovske, Krasnoperekopsk, Leninske, Nyzhniohirsk, Rozdolne, Saky, Simferopol, Sovietske, Chornomorske districts and the adjacent land plots of urban districts of Alushta, Armiansk, Yevpatoria, Kerch, Saky, Sudak, Feodosiya and Yalta.

The EU extended sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in the annexation of Crimea until September 15, 2020.

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