The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea strongly condemns the next criminal steps of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, aimed at persecuting residents of this territory - citizens of Ukraine - for religious beliefs and their civil position - Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea strongly condemns the next criminal steps of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, aimed at persecuting residents of this territory – citizens of Ukraine – for religious beliefs and their civil position

17.08.2021

Illegal searches and detentions were carried out today: in Stroganivka, Simferopol district in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the house of local imam Raif Fevziev; in Ternivka, Balaklava district, Sevastopol, in the house of Jabbar Bekirov; in Kholmovka of the Bakhchisarai district in the house of Zaura Abdullayev and in Povorotne, Nakhimov district, Sevastopol in the house of Rustem Murasov and Rustem Tairov.

It is a continuation of the policy of ousting the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and their representative bodies from Crimea, an act of suppression of any manifestations of solidarity and activities in defending rights, as well as another act of persecution for religious beliefs. For example, most detainees took an active civil position, regularly attended politically motivated court hearings, supported the families of political prisoners, and organized religious events in their villages.

Such persecutions and war crimes by the Russian Federation will inevitably lead them to a new “Nuremberg Trials”.

Currently, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol have already initiated criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Art. 162 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the inviolability of housing) and Part 2 of Art. 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal imprisonment). All the culprits will be identified and will not escape responsibility.

We call on the Russian Federation to end the wave of repression and to renounce systematic persecution and punitive practices in the temporarily occupied Crimea against citizens of Ukraine on national and religious grounds, for their views, positions and beliefs. The Russian Federation must comply with the 2017 order of the International Court of Justice in “Ukraine v. Russian Federation”, which imposed temporary measures, including refraining from restricting Crimean Tatars to representing their own interests, including the resumption of the Mejlis.

We express our support to the families of the politically motivated victims. Ukraine will do everything to deoccupy the temporarily occupied Crimea and bring those responsible for these crimes to the justice.