During the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, Adilie Dzhelyal, daughter of the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Nariman Dzhelyal, delivered a speech. 

The young woman said that despite Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, her family was not afraid and refused to leave the home of her indigenous Crimean Tatar people. Adilie Dzhelyal spoke about the trials her family faced due to the occupation of Crimea and the crimes of the occupiers, including the illegal detention of her father. 

In her speech, she also emphasized:

I have a big and wonderful family, and I always felt good around my parents until the enemy stole my dad. When Russia invaded my homeland, my parents decided to stay because Crimea was the homeland of the Crimean Tatar people.

My dad, Nariman Dzhelyal, a journalist and member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, continues to defend the rights and interests of the Crimean Tatars. He told the world the truth and openly condemned the occupation of Crimea. In 2021, despite threats, my father went to the Crimea Platform Summit, and upon his return, he was arrested. And then, early in the morning, they broke into our house. Imagine you are 12 years old, sleeping in your room, and suddenly, your mom wakes you up. A bunch of people in black masks with guns broke into your house. It was scary, we couldn’t call anyone. I sat there and imagined that they could kill us. They took my father away. My mom was often away from home for days, going to court and seeing my dad, while I, as an older sister, stayed with my younger sisters and brother. My sister was nine then, my brother was 4, and my youngest sister was not even a year old. And all this came upon me so suddenly that I didn’t even notice how I had lost my childhood. I felt anger, sadness, resentment, and, most importantly, loneliness because there were no close people around, no parents.

I am 15. When I discovered that my father was released, it was the happiest news for me, my family, and the entire Crimean Tatar people. I am so glad that now we can communicate in person, not through short letters. Our family had to leave our home for an indefinite period of time because my father was banned from returning home to Crimea. This is painful. However, the most important thing is that our family is together again. But there are still many children in Crimea whose peaceful childhood was also stolen from them. We can save them to return their parents, safety, and freedom. To give them back their childhood.