02/22/2019
Vigil on occasion of the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea: Don't just accept the annexation – The Crimean Tatars must not be forgotten!
Human Rights Action at the Brandenburg Gate on Tuesday (February 26, 2019 – from 11:30 am to 13:30 pm). At 12:30, an appeal will be handed over to representatives of the European Commission.
The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) will be holding a vigil in Berlin on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, to draw attention to the problematic human rights situation. It is especially the Crimean Tatars who are suffering from ongoing reprisals by the Russian occupiers, and lawyers and human rights activists are living in fear of arbitrary arrests. Picture: Hanno Schedler/GfbV (2018)
The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) will be holding a vigil in Berlin on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, to draw attention to the problematic human rights situation. "It is especially the Crimean Tatars who are suffering from ongoing reprisals by the Russian occupiers, and lawyers and human rights activists are living in fear of arbitrary arrests," stated Ulrich Delius, the STP's director.
Thus, the human rights organization will appeal to the EU Commission to initiate talks with Russia, focusing on the needs of the Crimean Tatars, and to put pressure on Russia through sanctions.
ATTENTION PHOTO EDITORS: There will be a small street theater play depicting Crimea being chained up by Vladimir Putin. There will also be creatively designed posters and signs.
In the scope of a speech to the Duma immediately after the occupation in 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised security guarantees to the Crimean Tatars – but failed to live up to them. The Crimean Tatar language was banned from the school system, and newspapers and media houses were closed down. Lawyers and activists who advocate for the rights and concerns of the Crimean Tatars are intimidated by house searches and arbitrary arrests. The international community must not accept this situation.
The vigil is organized by the Society for Threatened Peoples. The human rights organization has been campaigning for the rights of the Crimean Tatars for decades, trying to draw attention to their ongoing marginalization.
Hanno Schedler will be present at the event: +49 (0)170 – 244 95 88.
Header image: Hanno Schedler/GfbV (2018)
