A/HRC/43/CRP.7 44. The average number of monthly crossings of the contact line remained steady at 1.3 million (in both directions), on par with average monthly figures for 2019. 30 Despite some infrastructure improvements at entry-exit checkpoints (EECPs), such as the completion of the repair of the pedestrian bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska EECP on 20 November 2019, crossing the contact line remained challenging for many individuals, notably persons with disabilities and older persons; long queues and winter conditions further exacerbated difficulties. OHCHR welcomes discussions by the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on the opening of additional EECPs. 45. On 28 November 2019, Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 81531 entered into force, simplifying crossing of the contact line by children below the age of 14 with a birth certificate, in order to apply for a Ukrainian passport.32 OHCHR welcomes the efforts by the Ministry of Veterans, Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine to further amend the Resolution to allow children between the age of 14 and 16 to cross the contact line to Government-controlled territory with a birth certificate, up until May 2020.33 46. OHCHR notes with concern reports that in January, residents in territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ faced difficulties moving around the territory. Individuals were reportedly randomly selected on the street for document checks, and those without ‘passports’ issued by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ were taken to ‘police stations’ for “identification checks” lasting up to several hours. Ukrainian passports and other identification documents were not considered as ‘official documents’. Those who refused to go to the ‘police station’ were threatened with possible charges of ‘resisting authorities’. Individuals driving cars with Ukrainian licence plates were also taken to ‘police stations’ where they remained for several hours. Those who could not prove they had ‘licence plates’ issued by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ were fined, reportedly in amount ranging from 500 to 1,500 RUB (approximately $8 to $23) and notified they would have to obtain such ‘licence plates’. IV. Right to liberty and security of persons “I’m ready to sign anything to be released from the SIZO. I will die if I stay another month.” – A detainee speaking after having spent two and a half years in SIZO. A. Access to places of detention 47. In Government-controlled territory, OHCHR continued to enjoy full and unimpeded access to places of detention and detainees. During the reporting period, OHCHR interviewed 36 conflict-related detainees (34 men and 2 women) in pre-trial detention facilities in Bakhmut, Dnipro, Odesa, Starobilsk, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia and in a penal colony in Kharkiv. 48. By contrast, OHCHR continued to be denied access to detainees and places of detention in territory controlled by the self-proclaimed ‘republics’ in spite of the understanding reached during the Normandy Four summit of 9 December 2019 that “international organisations […] be granted full and 30 31 32 33 UNHCR and Right to Protection, “Checkpoints: People’s monthly crossings”, Eastern Ukraine Checkpoint Monitoring dashboard, available via www.unhcr.org/ua/en/resources (accessed on 15 February 2020). As amended by Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 953. See OHCHR, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 16 August to 15 November 2019, para. 40, available at www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/28thReportUkraine_EN.pdf. The amendments, dated 29 January 2020, are available at https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/622020-%D0%BF#n6. 13