The Mission condemns the latest human rights violations committed by the occupation administrations of Crimea against Ukrainian citizens, representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people: Enver Krosh, Seitiai Abbozov, Edem Bekirov, Murat Mustafayev, Rinat Aliyev, journalist Vilen Temeryanov and his mother.

According to the Crimean Solidarity, on the morning of Thursday, August 11, the occupiers conducted illegal searches in the homes of seven Crimean Tatars in the Dzhankoy district. Edem Bekirov, Enver Krosh and Murat Mustafayev were taken to an unknown destination.

With these actions, the aggressor country once again demonstrates its fear of losing control over the occupied territories of Ukraine, so it is putting pressure on the local population and activists in the temporarily occupied Crimea to intimidate and suppress resistance to the occupation, resistance that has been going on for more than eight years!

We demand that Russia release all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens. Any political persecution and repression against Ukrainian citizens, including representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, must stop immediately.

We call on the international community to condemn the illegal actions of Russia, which is carrying out another shameful persecution of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories. Illegal arrests, searches and persecution of the Crimean Tatar people violate international humanitarian law and the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The only way to stop such massive human rights violations is to de-occupy Crimea, and in the meantime, we must make every effort to fight for the rights of all our citizens!