Ombudsperson: Russians seize Mariupol residents' housing under the guise of nationalization

The occupation administration of Mariupol has already declared 2 380 real estate properties "ownerless."

In the temporarily occupied territories, the invaders are intensifying the practice of seizing the property of local residents.

The occupation administration of Mariupol has already declared 2 380 real estate properties "ownerless," reported Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.

The invaders regularly publish lists of apartments and houses whose owners allegedly did not confirm their rights under the requirements of Russian legislation. People were forced to leave their homes due to hostilities, to travel to safer regions or abroad, and now cannot return to the occupied city.

Despite this, the occupation authorities demand that Ukrainian real estate be registered in the Russian "Rosreestr." According to the ombudsperson, this is a way to force Ukrainian citizens to re-register property under the laws of the aggressor state. If people do not comply with the occupiers' demands, their housing is seized and transferred for use by other persons.

Lubinets emphasized that the absence of owners due to war and occupation does not deprive them of property rights, and the appropriation of someone else's property remains a crime, whatever the occupiers call it.