Crimean Tatars (Qırımlı) in the occupied Crimea Geneva, 26.11.2014
Who are Crimean Tatars? • Indigenous population of Crimea • Used to have its own state until 1783, when Crimea was first occupied by the Russian Empire • Turkic peoples, Sunni Muslims • Currently the population of Crimean Tatars in Crimea is 300 000 people, which is around 15% of the Crimean population
Crimea and Crimean Tatars before the annexation of 2014 • 18 May 1944 – Crimean Tatars were entirely deported from Crimea to Central Asia • In 1980s it was first allowed to come back to Crimea • Russian Federation as a legal successor of the Soviet Union did not take responsibility for deportation, did not provide any compensation to Crimean Tatars • Almost every family faced huge problems during repatriation (no housing, poor living conditions, xenophobia etc.)
Position of the Crimean Tatars on referendum and annexation • Overwhelming majority of Crimean Tatars did not take part in so-called referendum on independence of Crimea. Only 0,5% of Crimean Tatars voted on it. • Crimean Tatars were repeatedly and publicly saying that the annexation of Crimea violates the rights of Crimean Tatars and that they don`t trust Russian government • Crimean Tatars were the biggest and the most consolidated part of the population, which was against referendum and annexation. This was intensified by the fact that Crimean Tatars are visible minority in Crimea (facial features, language, religion)
Russian Federation promised a lot to Crimean Tatars, for example that… • The rights of the Crimean Tatars will be guaranteed by the state • That Crimean Tatar language will become one of the official languages in Crimea • That representatives of Crimean Tatars will have quota in Crimean government …however
the massive wave of repressions was coming soon.
• Fight against Mejlis, the representative body of Crimean Tatars and its members • Repressions/severe censorship against Crimean Tatar mass media • “Case of the 3rd of May” – Crimean Tatars, who came to meet Mr. Dzhemilev at the “border” are prosecuted now. Most common is the suspicion/accusation of extremism. • Disappearance/killing of Crimean Tatars • Random searches at homes, detentions of Crimean Tatars (“people who have non-Slavic faces”)
Prohibition to commemorate Deportation on 18th of May 2014
Prohibition to celebrate the Flag Day
Fight against the Mejlis representative and self-governing body of Crimean Tatars • Two most prominent and respected leaders of Crimean Tatars – Mustafa Cemiloglu (Dzhemilev) and Refat Chubarov are prohibited to enter Crimea • The office of Mejlis was searched. As a result, Mejlis was forced to vacate the building; bank accounts are blocked • Member of Mejlis face difficulties crossing “the border” between Crimea and mainland Ukraine, their houses are searched
3rd May 2014 – Mustafa Dzhemilev at the “border”
Censorship/fight against Crimean Tatar mass media
• The self-defense units publicly referred to ATR, the main Crimean Tatar channel, as “the enemy channel” and since March attacked and beat several ATR journalists who were filming public events and took away their equipment • On May 16, the Crimea prosecutor’s office issued an official warning to ATR’s leadership about its coverage of the mass gathering on May 3, stating that the channel had reported on the gathering’s participants making calls “of an extremist nature.” • When ATR was reporting on the wave of searches of Crimean Tatars’ homes, schools, and mosques in September, FSB agents would call ATR requesting that it refrain from airing the materials. • The search was also conducted at the office of the Crimean Tatar newspaper “Avdet.” Some of the materials, published there, were regarded as “extremist”, for example call to boycott the elections of the new occupational government.
Disappearance/killing of Crimean Tatars • Human Rights Watch previously documented at least 15 cases in which Crimean Tatars or pro-Ukraine activists were forcibly disappeared, abducted, or went missing in Crimea since March 2014. Six were subsequently released. Two of those who were forcibly disappeared were subsequently found dead. The true number of forced disappearances is likely to be higher
Victims • • • • • • • • • •
Reshat Ametov Edem Asanov Islyam Dzhepparov Dzhevdet Islyamov Timur Shaimardanov Seiran Zinedinov Belyal Belyalov Timur Shaymardanov Eskender Apselyamov Usein Seitnabiiev
Arson of mosques • For the last 6 months there were 4 arson attempts of the mosques. Guilty of arsons are still not found.
What can be done? • Establishing the special monitoring mission in Crimea in order to protect Crimean Tatars • Informing public about Crimean Tatars and problems we are facing now in Crimea • Using existing mechanisms to protect and restore human rights in Crimea (European Court of Human Rights)
Thank you for your attention! Useful resources:
Crimea SOS – krymsos.com Crimean Field Mission on Human Rights – crimeahr.org Human Rights Watch Report “Rights in Retreat. Abuses in Crimea”
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