- Title: Tatars in Crimea increasingly persecuted, UN says
- Date: 17th May 2016
- Summary: BORISPOL, UKRAINE (MAY 15, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FANS WELCOMING UKRAINIAN SINGER AND WINNER OF EUROVISION SONG CONTEST, JAMALA, AT AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING JAMALA BLOWING KISSES AT FANS FANS TAKING PHOTOS WITH MOBILE PHONES JAMALA, FANS SINGING UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM, APPLAUDING FANS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN SINGER AND WINNER OF EUROVISION SONG CONTEST, JAMALA, SAYING: "For me it means that my story was heard, that the Crimean Tatars story was also heard and that the story of Ukraine and its pain was heard. And all people who were saying that Europe doesn't care about us - today they saw that it was not true and that Europe voted for Ukraine." FANS CHANTING JAMALA BEING GIVEN FLOWERS AND WAVING THEM AS FANS CHANT HER NAME
- Embargoed: 1st June 2016 12:50
- Keywords: Crimea Tatars anniversary Ukraine Jamala Eurovision song contest
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / BORISPOL, UKRAINE
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / BORISPOL, UKRAINE
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0024I7243R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The situation for ethnic Tatars in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea remains a major concern, the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Tuesday (May 17).
"Over the past two years, we've documented increasing persecution of Crimean Tatars. Members of the Mejlis, which is the representative body of the Crimean Tatar minority community, and their supporters, have been intimidated, harassed and jailed, often on dubious charges," OHCHR Spokesperson Rupert told reporters in Geneva.
The Mejilis of the Crimean Tatar People was founded in 1991 and given legal recognition by a Ukrainian Presidential decree in May 1999.
"We are deeply concerned by the ban imposed on the Mejlis by the so-called 'Supreme Court' of Crimea on 26 April. We fear that the designation of the Mejlis as an extremist organization by the 'court' will leave Crimean Tatars even more exposed to human rights violations and collective punishment," Colville added.
According to OHCHR, since April 2014, Crimean Tatars have been subjected to arbitrary searches, seizure of books and arrests. Allegations of ill-treatment have largely gone unaddressed by the de-facto Russian authorities.
Last year, the authorities shut down a number of Crimean Tatar media outlets, and last week were reported to have also blocked Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Crimea news website.
"Most recently, the 'police' arrested two Crimean Tatars in Krasnokamenka on 18 April and four more in Bakhchisaray on 12 May. They were charged for alleged membership of an extremist organization that is banned in the Russian Federation, but not in Ukraine. Fourteen people in total, mostly Crimean Tatars, are currently in custody in Crimea awaiting trial for their alleged membership of the organization. Four were arrested last year, and so far ten have been detained this year," Colville said.
Wednesday (May 18) marks the anniversary of the 1944 deportation of some 200,000 Tatars from Crimea.
Their plight received worldwide publicity after Ukrainian singer Jamala's win in the Eurovision contest on Saturday (May 14) with a song, "1944", that put the spotlight on their deportations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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