On Tuesday, January 25, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center presented an analysis of human rights violations in the occupied Crimea for 2021. According to the organization, during the reporting period, the Russian security forces conducted 53 searches, 366 detentions and 366 interrogations, interviews and conversations. The total number of arrests for the reporting period is 210. Most of the violations by the occupiers fall on representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. This practice has become systemic in the peninsula.
The press conference was attended by Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Chairman of the Department of Legal Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Eskender Bariiev, Communications Manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Tetiana Podvorniak and Coordinator of the public association Crimean Solidarity Server Cholachik.
According to the CTRC, in 2021, 53 searches were recorded in the occupied Crimea, 33 of which were carried out in the homes of Crimean Tatars. This figure is almost the same as last year. Then the CTRC recorded 50 searches. The trend of persecution for political and religious reasons has remained constant since the beginning of the occupation of the peninsula.
“During the searches, the security forces often violate the rights of the victims. In particular, when breaking into a dwelling, cases of damage to property were recorded, or a search was carried out in the absence of the owner, or forbidden literature was planted”,- said Eskender Bariiev.
During the reporting period, the CTRC recorded 366 detentions, 330 of which were against Crimean Tatars. The dynamics remain unchanged, in 2020 364 detentions were recorded.
“Such a large number of violations in this category is also due to the fact that the occupiers massively detained activists who come under the buildings of the so-called courts, pre-trial detention centers, temporary detention facilities, etc., in order to support their compatriots”,- noted the Head of the Board of the CTRC.
Separately, the detentions of a native of Kryvyy Rih Vladyslav Yesypenko, Crimean Tatars Asan and Aziz Akhtemov, Nariman Ametov, Kurtumer Chalhozov were noted. Torture was used against them.
Tetiana Podvorniak stressed that during the reporting period, 210 cases of arrests were recorded in the occupied Crimea, 167 of which were against representatives of the indigenous people. Out of 210 cases: 28 – sentences, 40 – administrative cases, 25 – new arrests, 118 – extension of the period of detention. Last year, 197 cases of arrest were recorded.
During the reporting period, 478 cases of violation of the right to a fair trial were recorded, 393 of which were against representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. This figure is almost a hundred higher than last year – then 398 cases were recorded.
The communications manager added that violations of the right to the healthcare access are also systemic, and in 2021, 135 cases of violation of this right were recorded, 96 of which were against Crimean Tatars. The trend does not change – in 2021, the CTRC recorded 112 cases.
According to the organization, in 2021, 37 cases of transferring of political prisoners of Crimea have been recorded so far, 35 of which were against representatives of the indigenous people.
The report of the CTRC, which is available via the website of the organization, also contains information about the violation of religious rights, environmental norms on the peninsula, about inadequate conditions in pre-trial detention centers and prisons, about violation of the rights of political prisoners, about violation of women's rights and illegal military exercises in the occupied Crimea.
Server Cholachik also talked about trends in human rights violations in 2021. He drew attention to the systemic use of hidden witnesses, on whose testimony accusations against Crimean political prisoners are based. According to him, if the activists refuse to report, then they are subjected to torture, as was the case with Nariman Ametov and Kurtumer Chalhozov.
“The authorities are trying to suppress non-violent struggle. For three months there were 6 waves of detentions, about 180 administrative protocols were drown up. Among them, 17 detentions of civilian journalists took place. This is also a trend that makes us think about the plans of the authorities to bless these events. The authorities easily get away with crimes that are not talked about”, – he added.