Citizens’ rights to use their mother tongue and freedom of thought are inalienable for every person. It was the protection of these fundamental values that served as the impetus for the emergence of a new independent state, the Donetsk People’s Republic!
For this reason, the Human Rights Day held on 10 December is of particular importance for the residents of Donbass. Indeed, it was on this day in 1948 that the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which became the first universal international act to protect human rights and freedoms.
The Declaration proclaims the equal dignity and worth of every human being. The Declaration and the commitments adopted by the States parties to uphold its principles have protected millions of people and laid the foundation of work to create a just world for all humankind.
Legal education of citizens plays an important role in achieving the above goals. After all, it is the young generation who will develop the human rights sphere of our state. To this end, the Ombudsman initiated a competition of student works on the topic: “The role of human rights organizations and ombudsman institutions in unrecognized states”, dedicated to the Human Rights Day.
The winners of the competition were given the opportunity to undergo distance practice in the Ombudsman’s Office, at the end of which, on 9 December, on the eve of the celebration of Human Rights Day, the award ceremony with diplomas and prizes to the authors of the best works was held. After the official part, the students had the opportunity to personally communicate with the Ombudsman on topical issues of interest to young people regarding the specifics of the work of the Ombudsman of the Republic.
Unfortunately, the topic of human rights violations remains highly relevant for the residents of Donbass, especially in the conditions of regular shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the JCCC, 4 cases of violation of the permanent ceasefire by the AFU were recorded over the past week. It is miracle that none of citizens was injured.
In turn, in order to provide assistance to our defenders at the front, the Public Movement “Donetsk Republic” (OD “DR”) announced a collection of gifts by the New Year for the DPR military personnel, which will be held in the public receptions of the Head of the DPR, as part of the “Posilka soldatu” campaign until last week of December.
However, despite the difficult situation on the contact line, the Republic continues to develop. Thus, the Republican Leasing Company began the process of considering applications for the financial lease of certain types of transport, as well as special equipment in 2022. This initiative should improve the social and economic situation in the DPR. In total, the organization has already received 7 applications for financial lease of 41 units of agricultural machinery for soil cultivation and cultivating crops, as well as tractors, machines for the seeding and harvesters.
Also, a significant event, but already in the cultural sphere of the Republic, was the performance of the Honoured State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble “Donbass” in the State Kremlin Palace on 8 December for the first time since 1970. Our artists performed well on the main stage of Russia in the large-scale IV All-Russian festival of folk art “Tantsuy i poy, moya Rossiya” together with the leading state collectives of the country.
However, despite the holidays, citizens of the Republic still have to be vigilant. The epidemiological situation in the Republic remains tense. According to the official data of the Ministry of Health of the DPR, at the moment 113,595 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the state. 4239 patients are in treatment, 8692 cases are fatal.
The Ombudsman calls on the residents to comply with the necessary sanitary-epidemiological norms. For personal safety, it is recommended to sign up as soon as possible on the website of the Ministry of Health for immunization with the ‘Sputnik Light’ vaccine, which can be used both for primary vaccination and revaccination, and for citizens who have previously had COVID-19.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 3522 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1154 complaints, economic rights – 262 complaints, social rights – 736 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 364 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 112 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 28 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 137 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 46 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 683 complaints.
The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens, submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 10.12.2021
Personal rights
Human rights guarantees in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings
Enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare
Economic rights
Enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions
Enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families
Social rights
Enforcement of rights in the field of education
Issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR
- Death toll, injuries to civilians and soldiers as a result of hostilities in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic
The DPR Ombudsman’s Office documents cases of violations of Donbas citizens’ rights by the Ukrainian side, including the right to life, personal integrity and freedom of movement.
Within the period between 04 and 10 December, no one was injured.
Within the period between 1 January and 10 December 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 124 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 93 servicemen of the Republic and 31 civilians.
Within the period between 04 and 10 December 2021, no one died.
Within the period between 1 January and 10 December 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 7 civilians and 67 servicemen of the Republic died as a result of the armed aggression by Ukraine.
It should be noted that since the armed conflict began in the Donetsk People’s Republic, 5035 people including 91 children died.
Officially confirmed information on individuals who have been wounded since the beginning of the conflict continues to be reported to the DPR Ombudsman’s Office.
- Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians
According to operational data, as of 10.12.2021, the Ukrainian side detains 94 people.
As of 10.12.2021, 320 people are on the list of missing persons.
- Register of displaced persons and affected citizens
At the time of armed conflict, the civilian population living in the zone of fighting and near the contact line is often affected. With the view to protect the human right to life and security of the person, and to provide assistance to victims as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine, social housing objects (dormitories, preventative clinics, health care centres).
With the coming into force of the Order of the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic No. 137 of 24.04.2018, territorial commissions in cities and districts are now responsible for accommodating affected civilians. They work under the supervision of the Republican Commission on Resettlement of Affected Persons chaired by the DPR Human Rights Ombudsman.
There are currently 861 accommodation places in the Donetsk People’s Republic available for citizens of this category. 60 social housing objects have been opened in the territory of DPR. 51 of them operate, 9 of them are held in reserve. Since the beginning of the conflict on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to updated data, 9027 people, including 2014 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1737 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 304 children, 7290 people live in the housing fund, including 1710 children.
