Crimean Tatars Not Allowed to Gather on Anniversary of Deportation

Authorities in Simferopol are not going to permit the mourning being held in remembrance of the 71st anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars on May 18th.

According to Krymedia, this was announced by the head of the Simferopol administration, Gennadiy Baharev.

According to Baharev, the city administration received appeals from representatives of the Crimean Tatar people and related public organizations.

“They were planning to hold mass actions in Lenin Square, near the Palace of Culture. But, we are not going to allow this,” he said.

Baharev said that, according to “the plan of deployment,” Lenin Square does not allow for large-scale actions besides the activities held on the occasion of national holidays. He added that the square will soon be fenced in for the second phase of its reconstruction, and all events in the area will be cancelled until the work is complete.

It was reported earlier that the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people is planning to gather five thousand people at the memorial rally on May 18 in Simferopol. This number was indicated in the notice of the event which was sent to the head of Simferopol administration.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea, Ruslan Balbek, the Crimean authorities and law enforcement agencies were informed about the preparation of mass provocations in the country on the eve of the anniversary of the deportation. The Crimean authorities suspect Ukrainian politicians and leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov.