Russia restricts rights of people without Russian passports in occupied territories
Photo: A woman watches an address by Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
After seizing parts of Ukrainian territory, Russia is attempting to impose its citizenship on Ukrainians. Those who refuse Russian passports face restrictions on their rights, according to the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC).
According to the National Resistance Center of Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has been systematically trying to integrate the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. A primary method in this process is the forced issuance of Russian passports to the population, which serves as a tool for control and pressure on people living under occupation. For this reason, the Russian administrations are working to enhance their systems of restrictions.
Some of the main restrictions include:
- Limiting freedom of movement;
- Denial of social security rights;
- Denial of the right to work;
- Confiscation of property;
- Deprivation of parental rights.
At the same time, the enemy is intensifying social isolation. This means that, in addition to so-called official restrictions, people without Russian passports face social isolation and discrimination from the Russian administration.
The NRC summarizes that Russia's passportization of Ukrainians in occupied territories serves as a means of control, discrimination, and violation of fundamental human rights.
“Such measures by the enemy are a direct violation of international law, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,” the statement reads.
At the end of the publication, the NRC addressed all criminals of the occupation regime. The NRC also emphasized that Ukraine, with the support of the international community, is taking all possible measures to document and investigate the crimes committed so that after the de-occupation of the regions, all those involved will be held accountable following Ukrainian law.
Restrictions on rights under occupation
According to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, life under occupation without a Russian passport is becoming increasingly untenable.
Fedorov emphasized that the Russians are gradually coercing residents of temporarily occupied territories into obtaining Russian documentation through various compulsory methods.
