Crimean Tatars (Qırımlı)
in the occupied Crimea
Geneva, 26.11.2014
Who are Crimean Tatars?
• Indigenous population of Crimea
• Used to have its own state until 1783, when
Crimea was first occupied by the Russian Empire
• Turkic peoples, Sunni Muslims
• Currently the population of Crimean Tatars in
Crimea is 300 000 people, which is around 15%
of the Crimean population
Crimea and Crimean Tatars before the
annexation of 2014
• 18 May 1944 – Crimean Tatars were entirely
deported from Crimea to Central Asia
• In 1980s it was first allowed to come back to
Crimea
• Russian Federation as a legal successor of the
Soviet Union did not take responsibility for
deportation, did not provide any compensation
to Crimean Tatars
• Almost every family faced huge problems during
repatriation (no housing, poor living conditions,
xenophobia etc.)
Position of the Crimean Tatars on
referendum and annexation
• Overwhelming majority of Crimean Tatars did not
take part in so-called referendum on independence
of Crimea. Only 0,5% of Crimean Tatars voted on it.
• Crimean Tatars were repeatedly and publicly saying
that the annexation of Crimea violates the rights of
Crimean Tatars and that they don`t trust Russian
government
• Crimean Tatars were the biggest and the most
consolidated part of the population, which was
against referendum and annexation. This was
intensified by the fact that Crimean Tatars are visible
minority in Crimea (facial features, language,
religion)
Russian Federation promised a lot to
Crimean Tatars, for example that…
• The rights of the Crimean Tatars will be
guaranteed by the state
• That Crimean Tatar language will become one
of the official languages in Crimea
• That representatives of Crimean Tatars will
have quota in Crimean government
…however
the massive wave of
repressions was coming soon.
• Fight against Mejlis, the representative body
of Crimean Tatars and its members
• Repressions/severe censorship against
Crimean Tatar mass media
• “Case of the 3rd of May” – Crimean Tatars,
who came to meet Mr. Dzhemilev at the
“border” are prosecuted now. Most common
is the suspicion/accusation of extremism.
• Disappearance/killing of Crimean Tatars
• Random searches at homes, detentions of
Crimean Tatars (“people who have non-Slavic
faces”)
Prohibition to commemorate
Deportation on 18th of May 2014
Prohibition to celebrate the Flag Day
Fight against the Mejlis representative and self-governing
body of Crimean Tatars
• Two most prominent and respected leaders of
Crimean Tatars – Mustafa Cemiloglu (Dzhemilev)
and Refat Chubarov are prohibited to enter
Crimea
• The office of Mejlis was searched. As a result,
Mejlis was forced to vacate the building; bank
accounts are blocked
• Member of Mejlis face difficulties crossing “the
border” between Crimea and mainland Ukraine,
their houses are searched
3rd May 2014 – Mustafa Dzhemilev at
the “border”
Censorship/fight against Crimean
Tatar mass media
• The self-defense units publicly referred to ATR, the main
Crimean Tatar channel, as “the enemy channel” and since
March attacked and beat several ATR journalists who were
filming public events and took away their equipment
• On May 16, the Crimea prosecutor’s office issued an official
warning to ATR’s leadership about its coverage of the mass
gathering on May 3, stating that the channel had reported
on the gathering’s participants making calls “of an
extremist nature.”
• When ATR was reporting on the wave of searches of
Crimean Tatars’ homes, schools, and mosques in
September, FSB agents would call ATR requesting that it
refrain from airing the materials.
• The search was also conducted at the office of the Crimean
Tatar newspaper “Avdet.” Some of the materials, published
there, were regarded as “extremist”, for example call to
boycott the elections of the new occupational government.
Disappearance/killing of Crimean Tatars
• Human Rights Watch previously documented at least
15 cases in which Crimean Tatars or pro-Ukraine
activists were forcibly disappeared, abducted, or
went missing in Crimea since March 2014. Six were
subsequently released. Two of those who were
forcibly disappeared were subsequently found dead.
The true number of forced disappearances is likely to
be higher
Victims
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reshat Ametov
Edem Asanov
Islyam Dzhepparov
Dzhevdet Islyamov
Timur Shaimardanov
Seiran Zinedinov
Belyal Belyalov
Timur Shaymardanov
Eskender Apselyamov
Usein Seitnabiiev
Arson of mosques
• For the last 6 months there were 4 arson
attempts of the mosques. Guilty of arsons are
still not found.
What can be done?
• Establishing the special monitoring mission in
Crimea in order to protect Crimean Tatars
• Informing public about Crimean Tatars and
problems we are facing now in Crimea
• Using existing mechanisms to protect and
restore human rights in Crimea (European
Court of Human Rights)
Thank you for your attention!
Useful resources:
Crimea SOS – krymsos.com
Crimean Field Mission on Human Rights
– crimeahr.org
Human Rights Watch Report “Rights in
Retreat. Abuses in Crimea”
aishe.memetova@law-school.de