Russia continues persecuting national minorities in Crimea – human rights activists

The human rights defenders continue recording the facts of harassment of the national minorities of Crimea by the Russian occupation authorities.

In particular, the practice of politically motivated justice has spread on the peninsula, reads the joint statement of the Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties, presented at the UN Forum.

“The occupation gives rise to lawlessness and impunity. It becomes the acute problem for the people, and sometimes the whole nations who do not recognize the occupation, but are forced to live in it. They become hostages of the situation and need help,” said Yevhen Apalkov, volunteer lawyer of the Euromaidan SOS initiative.

The human rights activists recalled several major criminal cases, which had been initiated against the Crimean Tatar activists in Crimea. Among them, there is the so-called “case of February 26, 2014″ against the protesters against the Russian annexation of Crimea, “the case of May 3, 2014″ over the fact that the participants of the peaceful rally of the Crimean Tatars were interrogated and searched, and even five people were arrested. In addition, this refers to harassment of the leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people (the independent government body), in particular of its leader Refat Chubarov (he was put on wanted list in Russia) and MP of the Ukrainian Parliament Mustafa Dzhemilev, who was banned from entering Crimea.

In addition, the Russian government introduces the repressive laws on the peninsula, often prohibiting the cultural activities of the national minorities.

The authors of the report also recalled the persecution of journalists of the ATR Crimean Tatar TV Channel.

The report also refers to the flagrant violation of the rights of citizens of Ukraine, who were kidnapped in Crimea and tried in Russia – Oleksandr Kostenko, Oleg Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksiy Chirniy, Hennadiy Afanasyev.