Italian Deputies Reminded Russians about International Law Violations in Crimea in 2014

Natalia Poklonskaya, the former prosecutor of the annexed Crimea and an actual member of Russia’s State Duma, invited the Italian delegation to the annexed Crimea “for the rehabilitation after the coronavirus disease” during the online meeting of the Russian Committee on the International Affairs with the Italian Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and EU Affairs. “Crimea is open to our friends from Italy, maybe for the rehabilitation after the infection,” Poklonskaya said.

According to Russian media, the Italian side rejected the offer immediately.

Thus, a member of the Democratic Party’s third commission, Lia Quartapelle, stressed that international law had been violated in Crimea, so the official Italian delegation would not go to the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia.

“From our point of view, international law violations took place there in 2014. Therefore, the Italia’s official delegation does not have the opportunity to come to the Crimea. That is my response to the invitation, ” Quartapelle said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine press service announced that Deputy Minister Emine Japarova held a meeting with EU ambassadors to Ukraine and told them about the current situation in Crimea, human rights violations, humanitarian law, and discrimination on the peninsula. She also invited the European Union countries to take part in the Crimean platform’s constituent assembly, which is scheduled for the first half of the next year.

Bohdan Marusyak