On Wednesday, January 31, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people presented the results and analysis of human rights violations in Crimea over 2017 at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center. According to the organization, 286 detentions, 340 interrogations, 62 searches, 46 arrests, 104 fines for more than 5 million rubles, as well as 16 new political prisoners and 4 victims were registered over 2017. Most of the violations were commıted agaınst the representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
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Refat Chubarov, MP of Ukraine, Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariiev, Member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and Elvir Sagirman, Communications manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center took part in the conference.
According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, today there are 61 political prisoners. 38 of them are representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. In 2017, 16 people were taken into custody, 15 of them – Crimean Tatars.
After the occupation, systematic detentions and interrogations of people in the occupied Crimea became regular practice. In 2017 the security officers actively detained streamers at the places of searches, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists. There were cases when lawyers and journalists were among the detained. In total, for the year 2017, there were 286 cases of detentions of people, 248 of them were Crimean Tatars, 340 interrogations, 286 of interrogated were representatives of the Crimean Tatar people. Most detentions and interrogations occurred in April and in October (74 and 56 detentions, 74 and 61 interrogations respectively).
Searches also acquired a systemic character. According to the speakers, for the year of 2017, 62 searches were carried out, 61 of them in the houses of Crimean Tatars. Most searches were conducted in October-November (12 and 19, respectively).
In 2017, the occupation authorities of the peninsula continued to arrest Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists. Witnesses of searches, streamers got under the wave of arrests. They were taken into custody and various administrative cases were opened against them. The peak of arrests falls on February (12) and October (10). The detaineed in October were accused of involvement in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir and Tablighi Jamaat. In total, 46 arrests were registered, 42 of them are against the Crimean Tatars.
"According to this data, it can be concluded that the occupation authorities continue repressive actions. […] In contrast to the last year, we see more systematic approach – repressions are not connected with certain dates important for the Crimean Tatar people and Ukrainians", said Eskender Bariiev, a member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, at the presentation of monitoring results in Ukrainian crisis media center.
Among four mentioned victims, two died under unidentified circumstances, two more – indirectly as a result of the actions of Russian security officers. Vitaly Arsenuk, the missionary of Jehovah's Witnesses, who was arrested by the occupation authorities, died on June 27 after the trial. A veteran of the Crimean Tatar national movement, Vedzhie Kashka, died on November 27 during her detention by the RF security officers. Mudessir Isaev and Enver Avush were found dead in March 2017.
"We add them to the list of victims, but we continue to establish the circumstances. And I think it will be revealing if the occupation authorities will investigate these cases or not and whether the perpetrators will be found or not", said Eskender Bariiev.
Also in 2017, we can witness 515 cases of violations of the right to a fair trial and proper legal assistance.
"We can see that purposeful work is carried out for keeping Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian activists in custody. At court hearings, the terms of detention are systematically and illegally extended, appeals are rejected, relatives and friends are not allowed into the court rooms. There have also been cases of impeding the activities of lawyers", said Elvir Sagirman, communications manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.
According to the monitoring of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the Crimea's occupation courts fined illegallyi104 people, 99 of whom are Crimean Tatars, for more than 5 million rubles over 2017.
In addition, there were 80 cases of violation of freedom of peaceful assembly, 33 cases of freedom of movement, 38 times the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health was violated. Also, 21 cases of illegal transfer of political prisoners were registered. In addition, an illegal military conscription, military exercises and propaganda of military service are being conducted in Crimea, which is a violation of Article 51 of the Geneva Convention. Only in 2017 about 5000 Crimeans were recruited for military service in the Armed Forces of Russia.
Refat Chubarov, the Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar commented the statistic data.
"This statistics must push society to certain reflections. Those misfortunes that are caused by events in the East of Ukraine and in Crimea, require the mobilization of society, concrete and systematic actions from the Ukrainian authorities", said Refat Chubarov.
According to him, representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people regularly raise the topic of repressions in Crimea at the international arena.
"There is an opinion that in order to encourage Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, we need to make some compromise steps towards him. Our position is that any compromises with Putin before Russia leaves the occupied Ukrainian territories will encourage the aggressor to further repressions", – stated the head of the Mejlis.
According to Chubarov, the persecution and prosecutions of Ukrainian citizens by Russian occupants , in particular Crimean Tatars, are increasing and they remain systemic.
Link to the analysis of human rights violations in Crimea in 2017