On August 10, Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva, member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Suleiman Mamutov, and Japanese journalist Hirano Takashi participated in the public discussion Crimea: A Retrospective of Ukrainian Unity, which journalist Hulsum Khalilova moderated.

In their introductory remarks, the participants of the public conversation noted that the media situation in Crimea today is terrible and that Russia is isolating Crimea from truthful information from the outside. For example, the aggressor country recently blocked YouTube, through which many Crimean residents accessed Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar media, such as the ATR TV channel.

After that, the Permanent Representative described the situation in the peninsula’s media sphere before the occupation: “Before 2014, there were independent pro-Ukrainian media, but there were also pro-Russian propaganda media. But they were different; they worked, the media resources could criticize local and central authorities, and they spoke openly.”
The Permanent Representative noted that today, it is difficult for citizens of occupied Crimea to receive information from us and the world.

Tamila Tasheva also noted that today, coverage of occupied Crimea is event-driven, with attention intensifying on important dates such as February 26, May 18, June 26, and August 9.

“The interest of journalists increases these days, or in active phases of pressure on citizens in Crimea. Human rights violations have been covered more concerning Crimea, but other than that, there is relatively little information about Crimea, except for the media specializing in Crimea. It is necessary to form narratives about Crimea, information that needs to be conveyed and communicated with the media. We need to make the society interested in Crimea and ask questions to the media and state institutions,” the Permanent Representative noted.

Tamila Tasheva emphasized that the peninsula must undergo specific changes after the de-occupation. There should be military administrations and then elections, and Russian citizens who came to Crimea during the occupation should leave the peninsula. In conclusion, Tamila Tasheva noted that the Mission is working on a strategy of cognitive de-occupation and a vision of the state’s priority steps after de-occupation, which are necessary to ensure the peninsula’s reintegration.