Crimean Tatars emphasize responsibility of Merkel and Hollande for peace

On the occasion of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s meeting with Francois Hollande, the French President, and the Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko in Berlin today, the chairman of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, Refat Chubarov has reminded the leaders of their responsibility for peace in the whole of Europe, in the East and the West. According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), Chubarov asked for help in a seemingly hopeless situation: The Ukraine and especially the Crimean Tatars – who, under Stalin, became victims of Holodomor (a man-made famine that claimed millions of lives) and of collective deportation – are unable to solve the conflict with Russia on their own.

“We need international assistance to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the homeland of the Crimean Tatars,” Chubarov wrote to Merkel. Further, he criticizes that the Crimean Tatar people are at risk since the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and that the alarming situation of the Crimean Tatars is deteriorating day by day. „At this time, the acknowledged leader of the Crimean Tatars, Mr. Mustafa Dzhemilev, Chairman of Mejlis Mr. Refat Chubarov, […] Sinaver Kadyrov and Ismet Yuksel have been banned from entering and residing in Crimea. Also, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis Ahtem Chiygoz as well as activists Ali Asanov and Mustafa Degermendzhy have been illegally detained for months […] and subjected to moral and physical terror. Dozens of young Crimean Tatars were forcibly abducted, some of them were later found dead, the fate of the others is unknown. Hundreds of activists of the Crimean Tatar national movement are being persecuted and harassed […]”

Merkel and Hollande should especially take notice of the tragic individual cases, demands Sarah Reinke, the STP’s expert on questions concerning the CIS-states. “Achtem Chijgoz has been imprisoned since January 29, 2015, although he is absolutely innocent. If he were to be released, this would be an important sign to the Crimean Tatars that the promises of the international politicians are not just empty words.”

Crimea was annexed by Russia 542 days ago. The approximately 300,000 Crimean Tatars had tried to resist. More than 15,000 of them have fled since March 2014. The native inhabitants of Crimea, who were deported under Stalin in 1944, had been able to return in the late 1980s.

Header Photo: President of the European Council/Flickr