The Crimean Tatar Resource Centre with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine continues the work of the Freedom Camp. The participants were told about the work of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, about Crimea in the context of international crimes, about the occupation of Crimea and about human rights violations on the peninsula.
Iryna Starovytska, Project Manager of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine told the participants of the “Freedom Camp” about the activities and areas of work of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine.
Liudmyla Korotkikh, a lawyer of the CTRC, spoke about Crimea in the context of international crimes in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. First of all, she dwelt on the key concepts and explained the difference between the terms ‘occupation of Crimea’ and ‘annexation of Crimea’. Liuudmiya noted that in relation to Crimea we can only use such terms: occupation, temporary occupation and attempted annexation.
In addition, the lawyer spoke about the mechanisms of human rights protection in the conditions of Russian aggression against Ukraine: the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the UN Committees and Individual Sanctions.
Eskender Bariiev, Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Centre, informed the participants about the preconditions and consequences of the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. In addition, the expert drew special attention to human rights violations in the occupied Crimea and persecution of representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
Eskender Bariiev spoke in detail about the political prisoners of Crimea, noting that according to the data of theCTRC during the period of occupation of the peninsula 336 political prisoners and those prosecuted in criminal ‘cases’ were recorded, 219 of them are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.
‘It is very important to keep the topic of political prisoners constantly on the agenda at least keep them safe from torture and interrogation. That is why the CTRC has launched such a campaign as ‘Godfather’ (‘Atalyk’), in the framework of which deputies of different levels and countries can take political patronage over political prisoners of Crimea and their families,’ -he explained.
The participants watched the CTRC video ‘Deputy, help the Kremlin prisoners’, as well as the CTRC documentary film ‘Bring me back my dad’, which raises one of the most urgent and painful topics of our time: childhood without a father. The film collects the stories of children whose fathers were imprisoned or forcibly abducted after the occupation of Crimea. Some of them saw the brutal detention of their parents and now have one request: ‘Bring me back my dad!’.
The Freedom Summer Camp is organised with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine.