Ten years ago, the occupiers did not let Mustafa Dzhemilev into Crimea

Ten years ago, on May 3, 2014, about 5 thousand Crimean Tatars from all over the peninsula went to the administrative border in Armyansk to meet their leader, Mustafa Dzhemilev. Earlier, allegedly by decision of the Russian authorities, he was banned from entering the homeland until 2019, but he did not sign any documents.

The convoy of Crimean Tatars was blocked by Russian OMON fighters with armored vehicles near the Turkish rampart in Armyansk. But the activists broke through the human shield of the Russian special forces and headed to the checkpoint on foot to see Mustafa Dzhemilev. There they met with the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, who was never allowed into Crimea. In addition, at that time, streets in the occupied Crimea began to be blocked in protest.

Subsequently, hundreds of criminal “cases” were opened, suspended sentences were handed down, dozens of searches were conducted in the homes of Crimean Tatars, and fines were imposed on the participants of this meeting. In addition to all this, Crimean Tatars were detained, summoned for interrogation by the FSB and “explanations” were taken.

One of the first searches was conducted in the house of the Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Eskender Bariiev.
Moreover, he was given warnings, and he and all his relatives were summoned for questioning.

In order for people to return back to Crimea, the occupiers set their own conditions, one of which was the demand that Mustafa Dzhemilev should not enter Crimea. For the sake of this, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people returned back to Kyiv.

After the completion of the five-year ban on entry to Crimea, Mustafa Dzhemilev was again extended the ban for 15 years. Now he is not allowed to return home until March 5, 2034.

In addition, the occupants opened several criminal cases against Mustafa Dzhemilev, as well as put him on an international wanted list.

We emphasize that the events of May 3, 2014 showed the clear civic position of the entire Crimean Tatar people and their unwillingness to put up with injustice.