Crimean Tatar flag was hoisted on the Ontario Parliament
For the first time in history the Crimean Tatar flag was raised over the Ontario Parliament. The President of Crimean Tatar Community of Ontario, Rustem Irsay, raised the flag, stating that this event shows significant support from Canada for Crimean Tatars who suffered from genocide, Krym.Realii reports.
According to him, the association requested the former President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Ontario, Yvan Baker, who is currently a member of the legislative assembly, to raise the Crimean Tatar flag. A member of the Provincial Parliament informed Krym.Realii that on the 17th of May members of Parliament voted in favor of this proposal irrespective of their party affiliation.
Earlier, on the 19th of May, Crimean Tatars held a rally at the Ontario Parliament to commemorate the victims of the deportation of Crimean Tatar people with the participation of the leader of Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Dzhemilev, who is on a work visit in Canada.
As was reported by the Department of the Presidential Commissioner on Crimean Tatar Affairs, during the visit to Canada, Mustafa Dzemilev has lectured in several universities in Ottawa and Toronto, held a memorial meeting in Toronto and raised the Crimean Tatar flag over the Ontario Parliament.
Ukrainian and international and human rights organizations regularly report about retaliation against the Crimean Tatar people after the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia. However, the Kremlin and Crimean authorities under its control deny this fact.