Russian authorities continued harassing Crimean Tatars in Crimea

Russian authorities prosecuted residents of occupied Crimea on trumped-up terrorism charges, Human Rights Watch says.

According to the Human Rights Watch report, Russian authorities continued harassing Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea in 2019.

Human rights activists emphasized that Russian authorities prosecuted dozens of the peninsula residents on trumped-up terrorism charges.

The report mentions that 24 Crimean Tatars were arrested in March 2019, but none were accused in relation to any act of violence. According to Human Rights Watch, at least four of the detainees were tortured or ill-treated. Eight more people were detained on similar charges in June.

Human rights activists noted that in June the European Court of Human Rights ordered Russian authorities to hospitalize activist Edem Bekirov, but Russia defied the request and the Crimean Tatar received help only after returning to Kyiv in September.

Russia annexed Crimea after a military blockade of Ukrainian military units and an illegal referendum on March 16, 2014. Neither Ukraine nor most countries recognize the accession of the peninsula to the Russian Federation. After the annexation of Crimea, according to Human Rights Watch, the human rights situation on the peninsula has deteriorated drastically. Under various pretexts, including combatting extremism, authorities prosecute people who dare to openly criticize Russia’s actions on the peninsula, especially Crimean Tatars.

EMPR

Source: gordonua

Photo credits: Radio Lemberg