Ukraine submits official letter to UN concerning human rights violations of Crimean Tatars
The delegation of Ukraine has sent an official letter to the President of the UN Security Council in which they expressed deep concern over the blatant illegal activities of the Russian occupation forces in Crimea against Crimean Tatars. These activities resulted in mass illegal searches and the groundless detention of 13 Ukrainian citizens on the 11th and the 12th of February. All of the detainees are Crimean Tatars.
This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
The letter mentions the flagrant violations of the rights and freedoms of people who have become hostages of the Russian occupation regime in their homeland. This is due to Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. It also stated that the 21st century Kremlin is repeating the terrible Soviet repressions of the 1930s, as well as the genocide of the Crimean Tatars in 1944.
At the same time, the Kremlin is trying to hide this policy of extermination of the Crimean Tatars behind a screen of an imaginary fight against terrorism.
According to the letter, Ukraine demands that the Russian Federation immediately stop these political repressions against the Ukrainian citizens, and also to release the illegally detained citizens. They are Emir Usain Kuku, Vadim Siruk, Enver Bekirov, Eldar Selyamiev and Muslim Aliyev.
The delegation of Ukraine also calls for increased joint pressure on Russia.
“What is happening in Crimea is not only a flagrant violation of international law, but also a blatant disregard for all human values,” the diplomats concluded.
On the 11th of February, searches were conducted in the homes of several Crimean Tatars. According to the Russian Prosecutor General of the Republic of Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, four people were arrested as part of a criminal investigation into the activities of the “terrorist organization”, Hizb ut-Tahrir. "It is not the Tatars. It is a terrorist organization. We don't pay attention to the nationality," Poklonskaya said.
The Mufti of Ukraine, Said Ismagilov, reported that 12 people were detained, with two being released after questioning. The Mejlis have said that these searches were a new wave of repression against the Crimean Tatars.