18.05.2019

May 18 – 75th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars

On May 18, 1944 by the decision of the government of the USSR the whole Crimean Tatar peoples were deported from the peninsula of Crimea to the countries of Central Asia. Only 50 years later with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, surviving Crimean Tatars managed to return to their Motherland.

However, the tragedy did not become history. During the last five years thousands of Crimean Tatars were forced to leave their Motherland due to occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Dozens have been imprisoned, some were kidnapped and their whereabouts are still unknown. Almost on the daily basis, the detentions and searches of the Crimean Tatar activists, religious figures and just people who are devoted to their culture, religion and history are reported. The Russian authorities of Crimea suppress the Crimean Tatar identity. Culture of the Crimean Tatars, the language, the self-governance are systematically suppressed regardless of formal legislative guarantees on preservation of the cultural heritage. Today, as 75 years ago the Crimean Tatar identity is at risk, but now in Crimea, controlled by Russia.

Remembering the 75-years tragedy, we demand to stop persecution and discrimination of the Crimean Tatars in the present. We call the Russian Federation to guarantee human rights and freedoms to the Crimean Tatars, including freedom of consciousness, freedom of expression, cultural life, preservation of the language and truth about the past.

Эта запись так же доступна на: Russian