missing for several days. Reportedly, he was taken away by uniformed men. Mr. Ametov’s body was found on 16 March in the village of Zemlyanichne, in the Belogoski district of Crimea, with alleged signs of torture, hand-cuffed and with adhesive tape over his mouth. The HRMMU is verifying the whereabouts of all those who went missing. 86. The presence of paramilitary and so called self-defence groups as well as soldiers without insignia, widely believed to be from the Russian Federation, was also not conducive to an environment in which the will of the voters could be exercised freely. According to reports, some individuals had their documents/ passports taken away before the poll by unidentified militias, and searches and identity checks were conducted by unauthorised or unidentified people, in the presence of regular police forces12. 87. The ASG was assured that the authorities in Crimea will conduct thorough investigations of all human rights violations. These investigations should also cover crimes and human rights abuses allegedly committed by members of self-defence units. All cases of abductions and forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture and ill-treatment, reportedly by so-called self-defense militia and disbanded Berkut, should be fully and impartially investigated and the results of these investigations made public. The authorities in Crimea should react promptly to any similar violations that may occur in future and decisively condemn them. 88. The protection of the rights of Crimean Tatars regarding restitution of property, including land or compensation for its loss related to their deportation from Crimea during times of USSR has been a concern since their return after the independence of Ukraine. Recent events have led to a renewed sense of uncertainty among Tatar representatives. According to Mr. Refat Chubarov, chairman of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars, and other civil society actors in Crimea, there are reports of unidentified uniformed men claiming rights on properties and land. Several statements from the authorities in Crimea and officials in the Russian Federation, indicate plans to relocate or resettle within Crimea some of those Crimean Tatars who have occupied land illegally in recent years while waiting for their land to be returned. The authorities in Crimea have assured the Crimean Tatars that their rights would be protected, including through positive measures such as quotas in the executive and legislative organs. However, Crimean Tatar representatives have expressed reservations regarding the reality of these assurances. In addition to land squatting issues, concerns were also raised with regard to recent statements by some authorities that certain land segments will be alienated for public purposes. 89. It is widely assessed that Russian-speakers have not been subject to threats in Crimea. Concerns regarding discrimination and violence were expressed by some ethnic Ukrainians members of minorities, and especially Tatars, as indigenous peoples. In a meeting with authorities in Crimea these concerns regarding inter-ethnic tensions were dismissed, assuring that ethnic Russians, ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars and other minorities receive sufficient protection, with their three languages recognized as official languages. Despite this, Tatars largely boycotted the referendum and remain very concerned about their future treatment and prospects. Although there was no evidence of harassment or attacks on ethnic Russians ahead of the referendum, there was widespread fear for their physical security. Photographs of the Maidan protests, greatly exaggerated stories of harassment of ethnic Russians by Ukrainian nationalist extremists, and misinformed reports of them coming armed 12 There are numerous reports about the searches by the self-defense groups (sometimes in the presence of uniformed police) of the personal belongings of people arriving by train to Simferopol or by car travelling from the mainland. 21 | P a g e