April 26, 2025, marks nine years since the Russian occupation administration banned the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, designating it as an “extremist organization.” This decision was aimed at suppressing the influence of the Indigenous people on their land—a people who have always resisted Russian colonialism.

On April 13, 2016, the so-called “court” of the occupation administration granted the request of the so-called “prosecutor’s office” to ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and the decision took effect on April 26. The international community, including the United Nations, the European Union, and international human rights organizations, strongly condemned this act as a gross violation of the rights of the Indigenous people.

Despite all the pressure from the occupation administration, the Mejlis continues its activities in the territory controlled by Ukraine, representing the interests of the Crimean Tatar people on the international stage, defending human rights, advocating for the de-occupation of the peninsula, and working to restore justice.

The ban on the representative body of the Crimean Tatars has only strengthened the resolve to be masters of their land and to speak with their voice. No repression or illegal actions by Russia can suppress the struggle of a free people. Crimea will be free.