Fake referendum anniversary: Nearly 300 people imprisoned in occupied Crimea on fabricated charges

Over 12 years of occupation of Crimea, the Russians have imprisoned almost 300 people on fabricated political charges, 159 of them are Crimean Tatars.

Source: a statement by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 12th anniversary of the illegal attempt to annex Crimea

Quote: "12 years ago, on 16 March 2014, Russia staged a sham and illegal 'referendum' at gunpoint of Russian troops in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Just a few days later, Russian occupiers used this spectacle, null and void by its legal nature, to create the appearance of 'grounds' for the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The occupation of Ukrainian territories grossly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and fundamental principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and other basic international legal documents."

Details: The attempt to annex Crimea has been condemned by a broad consensus of UN member states in a number of General Assembly resolutions. No one in the world, except for a few regimes allied to Moscow and cast out by the international community, recognises Russian occupation of the peninsula.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that over these years Russia has turned Crimea into a territory of lawlessness, where people are intimidated, persecuted and thrown into prisons simply because of the language they speak, views they hold or faith they profess. During years of occupation, Russia illegally banned activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and forcibly terminated activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Particularly brutal repression has been inflicted on indigenous people, the Crimean Tatars. For the second time in 70 years, Moscow stole the native land of Crimean Tatars after a genocidal deportation in 1944. Tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars were forced to leave the occupied peninsula just as generations of their parents and grandparents had been. Those who remained are being persecuted and intimidated.

Overall, during years of occupation at least 430 people have gone through politically motivated cases, although the real number may exceed 500, as occupation authorities do not report all cases publicly, diplomats note.

As of now, almost 300 people are being held in Russian captivity on politically fabricated charges, including 159 Crimean Tatars. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands their immediate release and safe return to Ukraine, observance of their rights and provision of necessary medical care in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Over years of occupation, Russia has effectively turned Crimea into a military base and springboard for further aggression against Ukraine and destabilisation of the Black Sea region and Europe as a whole. The militarisation of Crimea is also having a negative effect on all Black Sea states, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses.

Quote: "We call on international governmental and non-governmental organisations, human rights defenders and activists to keep Russian human rights violations in Crimea in focus.

Despite pressure from the occupation regime, resistance to occupation and people who keep Ukraine in their hearts remain on the peninsula. We remember them, know about their position and will never stop fighting for the liberation of the peninsula….

The Ukrainian state will never recognise Russian occupation of the peninsula and will seek restoration of territorial integrity by all available means."

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