The Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation notes with deep concern that the authorities of Ukraine continue to practice gross violations of human rights. The Law of Ukraine "On Education" (hereinafter the Law "On Education") which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine, infringes on the interests of the Russian-speaking people of the country and is aimed at total Ukrainization. On September 25, 2017, the President of Ukraine signed a discriminatory law ignoring the numerous appeals of the parliaments and governments of foreign countries and the international community who urged Ukraine to refrain from such a violation of human rights which would result in flouting the rights of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens belonging to national minorities. Since 2020 children from non-Ukrainian-speaking families will not be able to get secondary education in their native language.

It is noteworthy that the law was signed by the President of Ukraine on the eve of the European Day of Languages, which is celebrated to demonstrate rich linguistic and cultural diversity and to encourage the study and development of various languages, including in educational institutions.

Members of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation believe that the Law "On Education" contradicts Ukraine’s obligations under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of February 1, 1995 and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of November 5, 1992. When striving for violent Ukrainianization of education, the Ukrainian authorities have breached the rights of numerous national communities living in Ukraine. The so-called "revolution of dignity" led to a frank humiliation of the human dignity of those who did not support the coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014. The Ukrainian authorities went at the children whose mother tongue is not the Ukrainian language, seeking to deprive them of their own cultural and linguistic identity after the reprisals against the opposition and independent media, attacks on foreign journalists, unleashing military operations against some districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions and attempts to blockade in different ways the Crimea which enjoyed its right to self-determination.

The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation supports fair and rigorous assessments given to the Law “On Education” by the authorities of Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Moldova, Poland and Romania.

We urge the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the parliaments of European countries and the international parliamentary organizations in Europe to give an objective assessment of Ukraine’s anti-democratic law of and to protect the rights of national minorities and the rights of children in this country.

The members of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation declare that it is necessary to take comprehensive measures to restore violated rights and to protect all the citizens of Ukraine from discrimination.

This document on the web page of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (in Russian)