Recently, the issue of the so-called negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war has been raised more and more actively, where Crimea is too often left out of the brackets, making it a “bargaining chip.”
However, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center would like to emphasize once again that Crimea is not just a territory. It is a symbol of unity, resistance and justice. Its liberation is not only the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also the restoration of international law and justice.
But above all, the deoccupation of Crimea will allow hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to leave their homes because of their pro-Ukrainian stance to return home. Indeed, during the 11 years of occupation, the peninsula has become a lawless territory with the lowest level of freedom of speech. And here the numbers speak for themselves. The CTRC has recorded at least:
399 political prisoners and those persecuted in criminal “cases”, 241 of them are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.
61 killed, 29 of whom were representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.
25 victims of enforced disappearances, 18 of whom are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.
Moreover, Crimea is the cradle of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine: Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks. It is not a bargaining chip, but their home.
As early as 2014, the Crimean Tatars openly opposed the illegal occupation of Crimea and clearly stated that they saw their future only as part of Ukraine. They have been subjected to severe repression for their position. After all, a significant number of human rights violations in Crimea are committed by Crimean Tatars, and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People was recognized by the Russian occupation authorities as an “extremist” organization and banned from operating in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Russia.
Therefore, the deoccupation of Crimea is not a matter of politics, but a matter of life, dignity and truth.
It started in Crimea – it will end in Crimea!