On 21 April, the Mission hosted a meeting with Polish journalists and representatives of the cultural sector who are in Ukraine as part of a study visit.

The event was also attended by Narhiuzel Abibulaieva, an analyst at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre; Bohdan-Liubomyr Prytula, a Ukrainian poet and writer from Simferopol; and Kateryna Semeniuk, a cultural manager and curator. The participants discussed the situation on the temporarily occupied peninsula, systemic human rights violations in Crimea, the role of culture in preserving connections to the peninsula, and contemporary art initiatives dedicated to Crimea.

Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko briefed the participants on the systemic persecution of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea. According to her, at least 286 cases of persecution for attempting to resist the occupation have been recorded. Those illegally imprisoned include journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and artists, namely Tymur Ibrahimov, Osman Arifmemetov, Iryna Danylovych, Asan Akhtemov, Bohdan Ziza, and others.

“When it comes to freedom of speech, under occupation it simply does not exist. Journalists and human rights defenders are held in captivity”, Olha Kuryshko emphasised.

Particular attention was paid to the new digital control tools that Russia is implementing in Crimea, namely the campaign for the forced use of the Russian messenger MAX. In parallel, the Russian Federation is blocking access to other communication services, creating conditions for increased monitoring of the population and restricting secure communication.

Olha Kuryshko also spoke about the practice of so-called filtration points that Ukrainian citizens have to pass through when crossing the administrative boundary. At such makeshift checkpoints, Russian security forces inspect people’s phones, laptops, and personal data, and those who raise suspicion can be detained and interrogated.

Narhiuzel Abibulaieva, an analyst at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, shared current trends regarding human rights violations in Crimea. She focused on violations against women — wives, mothers, and female relatives of those illegally imprisoned — and elaborated on the health condition of political prisoners and the lack of proper medical assistance for them.

Bohdan-Liubomyr Prytula, a Ukrainian poet and writer from Simferopol and the youngest laureate of the Vasyl Symonenko National Literary Prize, shared his thoughts on the importance of maintaining a connection with Crimea through culture, language, and literature. He spoke about the place of Crimea in the works of Ukrainian writers, as well as the significance of the Crimean Tatar literary heritage as an integral part of the Ukrainian cultural space.

In conclusion, Kateryna Semeniuk, curator and co-founder of the memory culture platform “Past / Future / Art”, spoke about the exhibition “What we talk about when we talk about Crimea”, presented at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw.

She noted that the exhibition creates a space for comprehending Crimea through art, memory, and personal stories. The exposition raises themes of occupation, the loss of home, identity, and connection to the peninsula, helping the international audience better understand the contemporary Crimean context.

According to Kateryna Semeniuk, cultural projects of this level are an important tool for preserving the memory of Crimea and strengthening its presence in the European cultural space.

The meeting also addressed the topics of the theft of cultural heritage, the destruction of cultural monuments in Crimea by the occupiers, and Ukraine’s steps to preserve the language and culture of the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine.