It was introduced by the Decree of the President of Ukraine № 431/2007 “On measures in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Great Terror – mass political repressions of 1937-1938”.

Despite the fact that more than 80 years have passed since that terrible page of Ukrainian history, the issue of protection of victims of political repression remains relevant, in particular in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

Systemic human rights abuses, arbitrary searches, detentions, inhuman treatment, torture and convictions on trumped-up charges have become the main tool of the occupation administration to intimidate and suppress any disagreement with the temporary occupation or other manifestations of civic activity.

Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, who have been taken hostage on their own land or forced to leave occupied Crimea because of or forced to leave the occupied Crimea because of real threats of political repression.

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been persecuted for their civil position, journalism, freedom of speech, views, beliefs, and religion. More than a hundred people are being held in places of detention both in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and in the Russian Federation.

On this Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Crimean Tatar People Genocide it is not only time to remember the events of history and remember the victims of those times, but also to constantly work to ensure that nothing like this would be repeated.