Fictitious Annexation Follows ‘Voting’ at Gunpoint
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A Russian officer guards a polling station in the city of Luhansk, Ukraine, which is occupied by Russia, Tuesday, Sept 27, 2022
© 2022 AP Photo
Vladimir Putin has just signed a document claiming to annex four Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Days before, Russia purported to hold “referendums” in these areas, with hastily staged “voting,” in some cases at gunpoint.
Just like the so-called referendum in Crimea in 2014, they hold no legal value and don’t provide a basis for annexation or transfer of sovereignty.
Russia remains an occupying power in these regions bound by the Fourth Geneva Convention, which continues to protect civilians in those …read more
Source:: Human Rights Watch
