Moscow wants OSCE to deal with Crimea water blockade
MOSCOW. April 28 (Interfax) - Moscow described as "an utter outrage" the Ukrainian authorities' decision to cut water supplies to Crimea in violation of the standards adopted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Russia's ambassador to the OSCE Andrei Kelin told Interfax.
He said the Russian delegation raised this issue at a meeting of the OSCE's Permanent Council, held on Monday.
"Kyiv's decision to cut water supplies to Crimea violates human rights and imperils the crops being grown in Crimea. It's an utter outrage," the Russian diplomat told Interfax by telephone.
"This violates the OSCE-maintained right to nutrition, water and normal life. We urged the OSCE's economic coordinator to deal with this problem," he said.
Kelin also said that the OSCE Permanent Council also discussed the problem of political prisoners in Ukraine.
"The Permanent Council discussed the issue of political prisoners in Ukraine, in Kyiv. Arrests are made on a daily basis instead of amnestying people as envisioned in the Geneva accords," he said.
Russia proposed that the OSCE mission track down illegal arrests and detention of political prisoners, see them and follow their fate up to the amnesty pledged by the Kyiv authorities, Kelin said.
Representatives of Switzerland, the country holding the rotating presidency of the OSCE, have confirmed that they will work on this issue, he said.
