Tatars' rights infringed in Crimea, Ukraine keeps none of its promises – report
The Tatars' rights in Crimea are systematically infringed, Chief of Office for Activity of the President's Envoy for the Crimean Tatars' Affairs Arsen Zhumadilov has said.
"Last year the new authorities in Crimea promised a lot, but did nothing…We have concrete examples and they didn't keep their promises on each particular issue," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, presenting a report on the present posture of affairs of Crimean Tatars.
Zhumadilov emphasized that the new authorities use a wide range of tools to press on disloyal social groups and individuals. The report points at crimes committed by the Russian government against activists and representatives of the Crimean Tatars. The document mentions killing of the community leaders, their kidnapping, deportation of Leader of the Crimean Tatars Mustafa Jemilev and Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov and searches at activists' homes.
He said that there is no a separate law in Ukraine that will guarantee the rights of the Crimean Tatars, although the Constitution of Ukraine grants these rights. In 2014, the decree of the Verkhovna Rada on guaranteeing the rights of the Crimean Tatars who are the part of Ukraine was adopted, and it was promised to adopt the laws that would regulate the rights of the Tatars.
"One year has passed, but we see no laws," he said.
Commenting on the law on the restoration of the rights of the individuals deported on account of their ethic descent, he said that there were no questions to the law, but the Ukrainian government had not drawn up any documents to implement the law.
"The law has not started working in a year. It lacks effect," Zhumadilov said.
Commenting on the situation in Crimea in general, Zhumadilov said that last year there was an attempt to annex the peninsula: "If it were occupation, they would not squeeze Ukrainian authorities out of Crimea. But we are talking now about the annexation, and they are trying to add this territory. It is the unprecedented act since the World War II."
Zhumadilov said that there is a need to create a central executive power agency in Ukraine on affairs of Crimea.
