On 23 November 2015, with the assistance of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, rights of 123 ex-alumni of the Academic Department of Reserve Officers of the Black Sea Higher Naval School n.a. P. S. Nakhimov to receive the military rank of lieutenant in the reserve were restored. This became known from the official reply of the Ministry of Defence of Russia to the request of the High Commissioner.

Within six months the High Commissioner carried on correspondence with the Department of Military Education of Southern Military District, the Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Black Sea Fleet and the General Personnel Directorate of the Russian Defence Ministry regarding the violation of applicants’ rights to receive the primary officer rank.

Notwithstanding that over 9 months passed after the applicants had finished the reserve training and took the military oath, this issue was not settled.

The High Commissioner’s appeals was based on a collective complaint which was received in June 2015 in Sevastopol during the joint open office hours held by the staff of the High Commissioner and the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office.

On 23 December 2015, the Office of the High Commissioner received a response from the Acting Head of the General Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Russia. The letter stated that by the order of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, 123 people were enrolled in the reserve and were assigned the personal number and the military rank of lieutenant.