According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), it is a scandal that ATR, the only Crimean Tatar TV-channel, was actually turned off during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. "The Russian authorities decided to act on their threats and to silence this important voice of the minority population," criticized Sarah Reinke, the STP's expert on questions concerning the CIS-states, in Berlin. "Therefore, we appeal to the German Federal Government to protest against this violation of the freedom of the press." Further, the human rights organization asked the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, not to give up on her criticism against the shutdown of the Crimean Tatar media. Apart from ATR, the closures also affect the children's channel Lale, the Meydan radio station, the Crimean News Agency and several newspapers of the minority group.

ATR had submitted four unsuccessful applications for a new license to Roskomnadzor, the Russian telecommunications authority. "This is not about formalities. We are witnessing a clear and purposeful discrimination of the Crimean Tatar population," said Reinke. The owner of ATR, Lenur Islajmow, reported that he was under massive pressure to sell the TV-station, but he had decided not to give in. "One can sell just about everything – but not the employees of ATR," he said.

According to the STP, it was an important step for the Crimean Tatars – following the return to their homeland since the late 1990s – to build up Crimean Tatar media services to promote their language. "Now, the about 300,000 Crimean Tatars who had done everything to save their media are hurt and enraged about the shutdown," Reinke says. "Anyone who ignores the decision of the Russian telecommunications authority and continues to publish will be facing substantial fines and prosecution."