Council of Europe: In Crimea, repressions against Ukrainians and Tatars are continuing

In the Crimea annexed by Russia, repressions are continuing against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. This is stated in the report based on the results of the visit of the Mission of the Council of Europe on the peninsula, held in the last week of January.

During the visit, the delegation "met with numerous representatives of civil society, non -state organizations, religious societies, national minorities, including Crimean Tatars, as well as media employees and local authorities." Themes, "which were raised regularly" during these meetings, belong to the alleged abuse of law enforcement agencies, in particular during searches, the report is noted.

Searches are often directed against the Crimean Tatars and are carried out without orders and with the "disproportionate use of force," the document emphasizes. As the basis for such operations, an extremist activity law is applied, the report is noted. The topic of "disappearance among Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars" was also raised.

At the same time, cases of persecution "seem directed to individual opponents - in particular, Crimean Tatars or Ukrainians - rather than reflecting the policy of collective repressions against the Crimean Tatars as an ethnic group." However, the recognition of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people with an extremist organization will be a "new level of repression against the Crimean Tatars," emphasizes the European Council.

"The most important conclusion of the report based on a seven -day visit to Crimea is the need to re -open the peninsula for monitoring by the structures of the Council of Europe and other international mechanisms, as well as in the development of reliable solutions that would allow them to effectively function under existing conditions," said the head of the mission, the Swiss diplomat Gerard Studman.

On Wednesday, the Russian prosecutor of Crimea Natalya Poklonskaya decided to suspend the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people. "Today I decided to suspend the activities of the public association" Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar people "in order to prevent violation of federal legislation," said Poklonskaya. In his decision, the prosecutor refers to Articles 9 and 10 of the Law "On Combating Extremist Activities". The decision of the Crimean prosecutor’s office was sent to the Ministry of Justice to include the Mejlis in the general list of public and religious associations, the activities of which were suspended in Russia.

"The rights of a public association are suspended. They are prohibited from using all state and municipal media, they cannot carry out various public mass events, use bank deposits and generally carry out any work. All their propaganda will be prohibited," Poklonskaya explained. The suspension of the activities of the Mejlis will be valid until the decision of the Supreme Court of Crimea.

On February 15, Poklonskaya filed a lawsuit on the ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people . "At present, appeals from the Crimean Tatar population continue to receive, including the leaders of the Crimean Tatar associations, with a request to recognize the unlawful and provocative activities of the Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar people, as well as take measures in terms of the prohibition of the use of the Crimean Tatar Flag by criminals committing blockade and sabotage against the peoples of Crimea," the lead statement said. Demoices also had a call to ban the Mejlis to oppose the spiritual administration of the Muslims of Crimea and personally against the mufti Emirali Ablaev.