On Wednesday, May 18, a documentary film directed by Christina Pashyn A Struggle for Home: the Crimean Tatars was screened online at Northwestern University (Northwestern University) in the USA in Ivanston, Illinois. Manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Zarema Bariieva took part in this event, talking about the current situation of the Crimean Tatar people.
In her speech, Bariieva reminded the audience about the 78th anniversary of the tragic Deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944, about the harm done by the Soviet troops to the culture, history, language and identity of the Crimean Tatars.
The CTRC manager emphasized that due to Russia's attempted annexation of the peninsula, thousands of Crimean Tatars were once again forced to leave the peninsula, while others were persecuted and imprisoned simply for their civic position. She also spoke about the ban on the activities of the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people – the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, the ban on entry and arrests of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar people, the illegal conscription of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the restriction in learning the Crimean Tatar language in Crimea, etc.
“Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has only exacerbated the human rights situation both in Crimea and now in the occupied territories of Ukraine. In these territories, more and more people are experiencing discrimination and harassment”,- she added.
Zarema Bariieva informed the international community about the activities of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and advocacy campaigns carried out by the organization around the world.
“All the crimes committed in 1944 must be undeniably condemned by the national parliaments of different countries of the world, otherwise they will be repeated by tyrants again and again”,- the representative of the CTRC emphasized.