Crimea: Fears of another slap in the face of the Crimean Tatars

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is concerned about a possible closure of the Crimean Tatar self-representation, the Mejlis. “The Mejlis is to be seen as the voice of the Crimean Tatars – nationally and internationally. The possible closure would be just another Russian attempt to muzzle the indigenous minorities in Crimea,” warned Sarah Reinke, the STP’s expert on the CIS-states at the Berlin office of the international human rights organization.

The Mejlis stands for the resistance against the annexation of Crimea by Russia – always non-violent, but consistent and permanent. Thus, the pro-Russian authorities have been monitoring and harassing the Mejlis and its members since March 2014. Following the annexation, travel bans were issued against important politicians such as Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov, the current presidents of the Mejlis. Politicians and the pro-Russian media have also been calling the Mejlis and its representatives “radicals”, “extremists” and “terrorists” since fall of 2014. There were even rumors that the Mejlis might be recruiting fighters for the “Islamic State”. Members of the Mejlis are often confronted with house searches, arbitrary detention and questioning by the Russian FSB.  The vice president of the Mejlis, Achtem Chijgoz, has even been kept in custody since January 29, 2015.

Starting on March 10, there will be proceedings against the Mejlis at the Crimean Supreme Court. On February 15, the de facto prosecutor of Crimea, Natalja Poklonskaja, had demanded the closure of the Mejlis, based on accusations of it being an “extremist organization”. The bill of indictment and the evidence consist of more than 600 pages and ten CDs. The institution and its members are accused of “extremism”, based on the assumption that they want to restore the national and political rights of the Crimean Tatars and preserve their right to self-determination.

“The Crimean Tatar Mejlis has 2,300 members. If the court in Simferopol decides to impose a ban on the self-organization of the Crimean Tatars on March 10, they will all be in great danger. “Therefore, the Mejlis expects German politicians to provide support and to protest against such a ban,” said Reinke.