International legal dimensions of the Russian occupation of crimea

Abstract

This chapter analyses the main violations of public international law in the territory of Ukraine as a result of the military occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. The following study encompasses an evaluation of the human rights violations in Crimea and the establishment of a Russian regime on the peninsula, while drawing attention to repressions against some parts of the local population, such as the Crimean Tatars. An important focus is placed on the international legal status of the territory despite the fact that the Russian Government de facto controls Crimea politically and economically. There are numerous international legal acts that have already confirmed that Russia's actions in Crimea constitute military aggression, as well as declared the Crimean Peninsula as an integral part of the territory of Ukraine. Furthermore, this paper briefly analyses the legal mechanisms of responsibility currently in place, which could be used to punish perpetrators for violations of international treaties committed by the aggressor state.