A YEAR AFTER: MAIN VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CRIMEA PART 4 Vashchuk, Vasily Chernysh, pro-Ukrainian activists) are still not found. Some of the abductees managed to escape. They told about interrogations, humiliation, tor- tures, and inhuman treatment they went through. Two years after, none of these cases have been investigated by the so-called Crimean authorities, nobody has been punished. Moreover, forced disappearances in the Crimean peninsula still continued in 2015. Abducted persons, which were found Andrey Shchekun and Anatoly Kovalsky On March 9, 2014, a birth anniversary of famous Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko, ‘the Crimean self-defense’ of Simferopol abducted two Ukrainian activists, Andrey Shchekun and Anatoly Kovalsky. Andrey Shchekun is one of the leaders of ‘Euromaidan-Crimea’ movement and the head of Crimean Center for Business and Cultural Partnership ‘Ukrainian House’. He was involved in promotion of Ukrainian culture in Crimea, helped to open Ukrainian schools, represented the interests of Ukrainian community, openly supported the independence of Ukraine, organized demonstrations in the support of Euromaidan movement. Anatoly Kovalsky is an economist, scientist, and civic leader. ‘On March 9, a meeting in honor of Taras Shevchenko’s birthday in addi- tion to a rally against the March 16 referendum on Russia’s annexation of Crimea was planned to take place. We received a small package from Kyiv with the Ukrainian national symbols, such as ribbons and < ags... Ana- toly Kovalsky and Crimean activist Andrey Shchekun went to the railway station to meet the package. Shchekun came on board, while my father remained on the platform. Shchekun was apparently recognized by his stubble. A large group of guys burst into the car, and the activist was lit- erally pushed out from the car to the platform, my father was surrounded too. They were beaten, not so as to hurt physically, but rather in order to humiliate.’ From the interview of Sergey, Anatoly Kovalsky’s son, to the Human Rights Information Center on March 9, 2014. The activists were taken somewhere near Chongar and kept in basements in inhu- man conditions. They were held by the representatives of ‘Crimean liberation army’ organized by Igor Strelkov (Girkin), a terrorist and retired FSB o7 cer. 59