Meijlis concerned about people disappearing in Crimea, asking assistance from international human rights advocates

The Meijlis of the Crimean Tatar people have appealed to a number of international organizations in connection with frequent cases of people going missing on the peninsula.

In particular, an appeal titled ‘Prevention of cases of abduction and disappearances in Crimea’, adopted at a meeting of the Meijlis, has been sent to the United Nations Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as a number of international human rights organizations.

According to the appeal, in recent months Crimean society has faced a very dangerous phenomenon previously uncharacteristic of Crimea—kidnapping. The Meijlis cite the example of Reshat Ametov’s kidnapping in early March. Ametov, the father of three young children, was later found brutally tortured.

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Kyiv Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Tatar Deportation While Crimea’s Puppet Government Bans Rallies

Photo by Руслан Константинович

On May 17, a rally commemorating the 70th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars was held in Kyiv. The event ‘Light a fire in your heart’ took place on Mykhailivska square with the participation of the Crimean Tatar community and lasted an hour. As part of the event the contours of the Crimean peninsula, the number 70, the contours of the Crimean Tatar Tamga national symbol and the words ‘No genocide’ were formed from candles. The Head of the Crimean Tatar Medjlis Mustafa Dzhemilev that was recently banned entry to Crimea, MP Oles Doniy, and famous political Vasyl Ovsiyenko took part in the gathering.

“Now the Crimean Tatars are in a very difficult situation, like the one 70 years ago,” notes Tamila Tasheva, the event’s organiser and the head of the media department of the Crimean Tatar brotherhood in Kyiv. “The occupation athorities of Crimea pressure the Tatar population, forcing them to leave their homeland,” reports Gazeta.ua. On May 16, the first day of remembrance of the deportation of the Tatars in Crimea, the puppet government in Crimea headed by Aksyonov banned all mass rallies till June 6, as a result of which the rally ‘Light a fire in your heart’ planned to happen in Crimea was cancelled.

The ‘prosecutor’ of Crimea has opened a case against the Crimean Tatar Medjlis

Refat Chubarov

Natalia Poklonskaya, Crimea’s controversial prosecutor general, who was appointed by the new Russian administration, has launched criminal proceedings against Refat Chubarov, chairman of the Medjlis of the Crimean Tatar People and other leading Medjlis figures.

Crimean Tatars gather at border to support Dzemilev who is being denied entry to Crimea

At least 5,000 Crimean Tatars have gathered today, May 3, at the Crimea-Ukraine border in support of Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev who is being denied entry into Crimea. There were reports of busloads of “green men” and Berkut forces being sent to the location, and clashes are possible.

Crimeans gather at border between #kherson & #Crimea . Demanding that Berkut let Mustafa Cemilev Into #Crimea |EMPR pic.twitter.com/5cCJkYdKYB

— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) May 3, 2014

Dzhemilev is the former Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament since 1998. The Meijlis has urged all Crimean Tatars to block the main highways of the peninsula in protest against the ban on entry of Dzhemilev.The Mejlis is the single highest executive-representative body of the Crimean Tatars. Their decision to protest was approved at a meeting of the Mejlis in Armyansk, reported Meijlis member Hayana Yuksel to the QHA news agency. Crimean Tatars have been arriving at the border from all regions of Crimea.

Participants of this protest are saying that the Crimean government “will dispatch” the entire Crimean militia force and OMON (riot police detachment) to Armyansk. There is also information that the road leading to Armyansk will be completely blocked, and civilians travelling along this road will be re-directed to Chongar.

Мустафа Джемилев прорвался в Крым. http://t.co/5y6qPcTTdR—
Constantine Veren (@cveren) May 03, 2014

Many Crimeans who have crossed border to meet Mustafa Dzhemilev are now being refused entry back to Crimea as tensions mount.

Sources:
http://qha.com.ua/medjlis-prizval-krimskih-tatar-perekrivat-trassi-krima-135635.html

http://khpg.org.ua/ http://khpg.org/index.php?id=1399107547

Volga Tatars Nominate Crimea’s Mustafa Dzhemilev for Nobel Peace Prize

Paul Goble, originally on Window on Eurasia

Staunton, April 26 – Tatar organizations in the Middle Volga have nominated Mustafa Dzhemilev, the longtime leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement, for the Nobel Peace Prize, a step that calls attention to Dzhemilev’s efforts to defend his land  against Russian aggression and growing ties between the Tatars of Crimea and the Tatars of the Middle Volga.

Crimean Tatars create national territorial autonomy

facebook.com/leyla.muslimova

Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 14:32

Quriltai (assembly) of the Crimean Tatar people decided to start creating the Crimea national territorial autonomy. This is stated in the resolution adopted by the extraordinary session of Quriltai, BBC Ukraine reports. Chairman of Majlis (governing body) of the Crimean Tatars, Refat Chubarov said that this document does not recognize the annexation of the Crimea and Ukraine’s loss of the peninsula. He also suggested that the Crimean Tatars could hold a national referendum to confirm their desire to have autonomy.

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars urges all that care about Crimea’s fate to boycott referendum

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars urges to boycott the referendum that has been appointed for March, 16. Their appeal is posted on the FB page of the  Qırımtatar Milliy Meclisi:

TO EVERYONE, WHO CARES ABOUT THE FATE OF CRIMEA! WE URGE YOU TO BOYCOTT THIS REFERENDUM!

The referendum on which we, Crimean residents, are being offered to make a choice for the future of our children, the future of our Crimea, the future of the whole country, has been appointed for March, 16.

Crimean Tatars Warn Russia of Jihad

Radical representatives of the Crimean Tatar community vow to fight Russian invaders, said Mustafa Dzhemilyev, a leader of Crimean Tatars and a member of Crimean Parliament in an interview to Financial Times.

He said, people with such requests personally approached him. “We have Islamist, Wahhabis, Salafis… groups who have fought [with the opposition] in Syria. They say: an enemy has entered our land and we are ready,” said Dzhemilyev.

A tragedy for the Crimean Tatars

American Writer Sara Paretsky shares her cousin’s story about Crimea

As some of you know, my cousin worked in Crimea for over 4 years with the Crimean Tatars, trying to help restore the library that was destroyed by Stalin, along with their homes, farms and many other cultural icons. She had to leave Ukraine when the current troubles started, but she’s been in daily contact with her Crimean family and I’m pasting her most recent update here.

“For the last two weeks—ever since the Crimean crisis began—I get up in the morning in my home in America, turn on the computer to check my news sources in Ukraine, and then call “my family” in Crimea. From 2009 to August of 2013, I lived and worked in the Crimean Tatar community in Simferopol and have maintained close contacts with the people there and visited them often from my new Peace Corps assignment in Kyiv. When the Peace Corps evacuated all Volunteers from Ukraine the weekend of Feb. 23rd, I was hesitant to leave without having the chance to say goodbye to my family in Crimea, but we talked on the phone, and I reassured them I would be back sometime soon.

Crimean Tatars ask Turkey, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan for help

Crimean Tatars appealed to the presidents of Turkey, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to help prevent the secession of Crimea from Ukraine, reports Espreso.TV, citing Azerbaijani news outlet haqquin.az.

In an interview with haqquin.az on March 6, the leader of the Crimean Tatars and former head of the Mejlis Mustafa Dzhemilev explained:

“Our people were once expelled from their native lands,” he said. “We do not want a repetition of this tragedy. Therefore we appeal for help to Ilham Aliyev (president of Azerbaijan), Abdullah Gül (president of Turkey ) and Nursultan Nazarbayev (president of Kazakhstan). Do not abandon your Crimean brothers and sisters at this difficult time. We ask the entire world to help us. Exile and repression await us in Russia once again,” he said.