The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution that recognizes Crimea as "temporarily occupied" by Russia and condemns the "abuses" and "discrimination" against Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians, and other groups on the peninsula.
The General Assembly vote on December 19 was 70 in favor and 26 against the resolution, with 77 countries abstaining.
The resolution also calls on Russia, as an "occupying power," to end all abuses against people living in Crimea, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and other "cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment."
Serhiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, said in a statement after the General Assembly's vote that the human rights situation on Crimea had "deteriorated sharply" since Russian forces took control of the Ukrainian territory in February 2014 and illegally annexed it.
Kyslytsya noted that the latest report on Crimea by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, released on December 8, described the situation since Russia took control as a "climate of repression against dissenting voices."
The General Assembly resolution was first approved by the UN's human rights committee on November 15.
Russia had lobbied against the resolution, calling it "politically motivated" and "one-sided."
