Poklonskaya suspends activities of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people

Prosecutor of the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea Natalia Poklonskaya issued an order to suspend the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars.

In her decision, Poklonskaya refers to Articles 9 and 10 of the Russian law on countering extremist activity.

Article 10 of this law states that in case of suspension of activity of a non-governmental or religious association its members shall be prohibited from using state and municipal mass media, organizing and holding assemblies, rallies, demonstrations, marches, picketing and other mass actions or public events, taking part in the elections and referendums, using bank deposits and the like.

However, the Mejlis is a representative body, not a governmental or religious association.

The decision is valid until the so-called “Supreme Court of Crimea” delivers a judgment on the claim of Poklonskaya to ban the Mejlis

Amnesty International describes the ban as “a new wave of reprisals against the Crimean Tatars.”

“Any person, who is associated with the Mejlis, may face serious charges of extremism as a result of the ban,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia. “The decision to suspend the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people within the framework of the anti-extremist Russian legislation is an ugly retaliatory step, which denies the right of members of the Crimean Tatar community to freedom of association.”

Crimean lawyer Dzhemil Temishev, who represents the interests of the Mejlis in the court, is getting ready to contest the decision. The lawyer believes that the Russian prosecutor’s office has decided to suspend the activities of the Mejlis because of the prolonged consideration of the case over ban on the Mejlis in the court.

As reported, February 15, 2016, prosecutor of the occupation authorities of Crimea Natalia Poklonskaya filed a lawsuit to ban the Mejlis.