The Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariiev, said in an interview with the Day newspaper that the de-occupation of Crimea could happen very quickly and Ukraine should be ready for this. In particular, a de-occupation strategy is needed, in which, in addition to the already adopted law on the temporarily occupied territories, there should be a law on transitional justice and a law on indigenous peoples, as well as changes to the Constitution and the Criminal Code.
“I think that a de-occupation strategy is needed, which, in addition to the already adopted law on temporarily occupied territories, should provide for a number of laws, including the law on transitional justice, amendments to the Criminal Code. A new legal framework should be formed, including the law on indigenous peoples, and amendments to the Constitution. We need to understand that de-occupation can happen very quickly, approximately, as the USSR collapsed. We do not yet know what and where that “black swan” is and and how will it fly to Russia and become an impetus for the return of Crimea, but it will certainly happen. It is already flying somewhere, and we need to prepare”,- Bariiev said.
The head of the board of the CTRC noted that the return of Crimea can happen in several stages, for which Ukraine should be ready. In addition, it will be much easier to reintegrate Crimea than Donbass, because no blood was shed in Crimea, there is no blood grievance, there will be no blood feud.
“Of course, in any case, Crimea will never be the same as it was in 2013. When we return, and speaking in poems by Liliia Budzhurova, we will certainly return, Crimea will be completely different, not even the way it is today. It will have a new status, there will be legal and social relations that are completely different. And today it is important to understand that we are fighting not only for territory or only for people, but also for people, and for their souls, and their feelings, and for territory”,- he added.
Read the full interview here.