Today, on November 2, on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we would like to draw your attention to the situation in the occupied Crimea. In the context of the long-term occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which began in 2014, the problem of freedom of speech on the peninsula is gaining wide relevance. The Russian Federation is increasing pressure on pro-Ukrainian media, which has led to their complete elimination.
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Yes, at first professional journalists continued to work on the peninsula, but with the growing pressure, most of them were forced to leave for mainland Ukraine, while some remained and secretly prepared materials for the Ukrainian media. As a result, civic journalism began to develop in the territory. Ordinary people who were forced to live under the conditions of temporary occupation took their mobile phones in their hands and turned on the camera to record numerous offenses against representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
During searches in the homes of activists or during court sessions in Crimea, Russian security officials could simply knock out the phone and camera from the hands of journalists, who were recording everything on video. Sometimes the occupants used physical force against them. Russian legislation was used as an instrument of pressure and reprisals against activists. Journalists were brought to administrative responsibility for allegedly organizing or participating in an unsanctioned rally.
Already, among the numerous political prisoners in the Kremlin, there are a lot of activists, civic journalists, bloggers from the Crimean Solidarity public association.
10 Crimean journalists paid for their position and are currently in the FSB dungeons: Server Mustafayev, Timur Ibrahimov, Marlen Asanov, Seyran Saliiev, Remzi Bekirov, Ruslan Suleimanov, Osman Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, Amet Suleymanov and Vladyslav Yosypenko.
The peninsula was turned into a territory of lawlessness with the lowest level of freedom of speech.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center calls on the international community to increase pressure on the occupying state so that our compatriots can continue their professional activities.