On 9 July in Rome (Italian Republic), the Crimea Platform Office, together with the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU), the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and Europa Radicale, held a public event titled “Ukraine and Italy. Why Does Crimea Unite Us?” The event focused on the current situation in temporarily occupied Crimea and the challenges stemming from the prolonged occupation.
Opening remarks were delivered by the Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko, FIDU President Antonio Stango, and Europa Experience representative Rhoda Omido.
As part of the panel discussion, participants examined the situation in occupied Crimea, focusing on the daily challenges faced by residents under Russian occupation. The conversation also addressed Crimea’s historical context as one of Europe’s richest regions in terms of cultural and archaeological heritage — shaped by the contributions of many peoples, including Italians — which Russia is now attempting to destroy.
Panelists included Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko; President of the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU) and mentor of political prisoner Amet Suleimanov, Antonio Stango; FIDU Vice President Eleonora Mongelli; Advocacy Director of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, Alyona Lunova; Coordinator of the Europa Radicale initiative, Igor Boni; and Svitlana Valko, Programme Manager at the International Partnership for Human Rights.
Speakers emphasized the inadmissibility of normalizing the occupation, which they described as a form of terror. During the discussion, it was stressed that there can be no talk of peace as long as territories remain under occupation. The panel highlighted that the war did not begin in 2022 but in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea. They also underlined that Russia systematically manipulates facts in an effort to rewrite the peninsula’s history and impose the narrative of a “Russian Crimea.” Despite this, it is essential to speak the truth about Crimea, counter Russian disinformation, and affirm historical facts. The event concluded with a powerful statement: Crimea is Ukraine, and Ukraine is Europe — this is why Crimea unites us.
The speakers also noted the importance of including occupied territories in recovery and reconstruction processes following de-occupation. In this context, the Permanent Representative announced that Crimea will be represented at the Recovery Forum, scheduled for 10–11 July 2025, as part of the broader Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025).
As part of the event, participants also watched a documentary by Ukraїner highlighting the history of the Indigenous people of Ukraine — the Crimean Tatars. The film explores how Russia systematically erases, rewrites, and exploits Crimean Tatar history as a tool of propaganda.
We express our gratitude to our partners — the Italian Federation for Human Rights, the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and Europa Radicale — for co-organizing the event and their meaningful contributions during the discussion. Special thanks to Ukraїner for their work on the film and to Daria Volokh, Marharyta Bezuhlal, and Anastasiia Seliverstova for translating the subtitles into Italian.
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