Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
regarding continued harassment of Crimean Tatars

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine's expresses its strong protest in connection with the so-called decision by occupation prosecution office in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to suspend activities of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

This decision has become another step in the chain of crimes committed by the Russian occupation authorities against the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people – indigenous people of Crimea. We regard this as a violation of the obligations by the Russian Federation as the occupying state under international law, as well as of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Over the past two years, the Kremlin has transformed the Ukrainian peninsula into the area of harassment, intimidation and persecution, vast violations of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Against this background accusations against Mejlis of undertaking extremist activities look particularly cynical.

Despite strong condemnation by Ukraine and other democratic states of Russian aggression against Ukraine and occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Kremlin, by all its aggressive actions against Ukraine, continues to openly despise international law and just demands of the entire civilized world.

Ukraine calls on all democratic countries to demand from the occupying state to immediately stop massive violations of fundamental rights and freedoms on the peninsula; to provide access for international organizations to the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea to conduct continuous monitoring of the human rights situation; to combine efforts pursuing the goal of de-occupation of the Crimea.

 

April 13, 2016