Today, the Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva, together with the Head of the Crimea Platform Department, Maria Tomak, held a meeting with Indonesian human rights activist Natalius Pigai.

During the meeting, the discussion focused on human rights violations in the occupied territories, particularly in Crimea. The Permanent Representative highlighted that oppression against the residents of Crimea began back in 2014, long before the large-scale invasion:

Since Russia’s occupation of Crimea, we have consistently recorded an increase in crimes related to the violation of people’s rights, including politically motivated persecution, restrictions on freedoms and rights, and the abduction of children. Additionally, Russia persecutes individuals on religious grounds, particularly targeting Muslims and members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Mr. Pigai emphasized that advocating for human rights, particularly children’s rights, is a priority and a significant focus of the Indonesian government. He expressed admiration for the fact that Islam is an indigenous religion in Ukraine, practiced by the Crimean Tatars. Mr. Pigai also noted that Indonesians should be more aware of this important cultural aspect.

Maria Tomak, the Head of the Crimea Platform Department, stated that the struggle for Crimea is not merely a territorial issue but primarily a fight for the restoration of human rights, particularly those of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. The discussion also highlighted the plight of 218 Crimean residents illegally imprisoned by the Russian occupation administration for political reasons, 133 of whom are Crimean Tatars.

The parties agreed on future cooperation, particularly in publicizing the issue of Ukrainian political prisoners illegally detained by Russia in Indonesia.