Every year on August 9, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1994. This day reminds us of the importance of preserving and strengthening the institutions, culture and traditions of Indigenous peoples.

This is an additional opportunity for Ukraine to declare its support and state stance on the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples. There are three Indigenous peoples in Ukraine: Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks, who formed on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula.

Supporting Ukraine’s Indigenous peoples is a part of our international commitments under the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine No. 1616-IX, which guarantees the protection of cultural, informational and other rights of Indigenous peoples, and provides them with mechanisms and tools for working with the Ukrainian state.

For a long period of time, the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine have been victims of historical injustices, colonialist policies and forced deportation from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Since the beginning of the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by Russia in 2014, Ukraine’s Indigenous peoples have been subjected to harassment and persecution for their national and religious identity and principled support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Thus, as of today, the invaders have illegally imprisoned 218 people in occupied Crimea, 133 of whom are Crimean Tatars. Of the total number, 42 are arrested, 151 are imprisoned, and 26 are without status.

Ukraine is implementing the state policy of ethno-national unity and is ready to protect its Indigenous peoples, in particular, to work on consolidating international pressure on the aggressor country to stop massive human rights violations in temporarily occupied Crimea.

On this day, we have the opportunity to remind the whole world that the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine are glorious, proud and freedom-loving, and our country honors them. Today, they demonstrate their steadfastness by defending the country in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, actively join resistance movements on the peninsula and make great efforts to drive the enemy from our land as soon as possible and liberate the entire territory of Ukraine from the occupiers. 

Only the rapid de-occupation of the Crimean Peninsula will be able to stop the horrific and illegal actions of the Russian Federation.

Glory to Ukraine!