The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that Russia's de facto control over the occupied Crimean peninsula began around February 27, 2014. This is stated in the court's decision.
"The court had to consider whether Russia had 'jurisdiction", within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention, over Crimea as from 27 February 2014 and therefore whether it had competence to examine the application. It found that the facts complained of by the Ukrainian Government did fall within the “jurisdiction” of Russia on the basis of effective control that it exercised over Crimea as of that date," the statement said.
It is noted that the Court took into account the scale and strength of the Russian military presence, which was strengthened in the Crimea from February to March 2014 without the consent of the Ukrainian authorities.
ECtHR also stated that it would further consider Ukraine's case against Russia on human rights violations in occupied Crimea.
As we reported earlier, a Russian court has sentenced three Crimean Tatars (Hizb Ut-Tahrir case) to 13 to 18 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of organizing and participating in a terrorist organization and forcible seizure of power.
