Amnesty International: Russia is persecuting dissidents in Crimea
Crimean Tatars and their leaders are being prosecuted in the Crimea as well as all dissident citizens, reported human rights researcher from Amnesty International in Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, Krasimir Yankov, to Krym.Realii.
“The main trends remain unchanged: widespread restriction of the freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Moreover, we are talking about criminal prosecution of nonconformists. And we emphasize this in particular because for us it’s quite obvious that the Crimea is cracking down on dissidence. It is hard and scary to express your opinion if it doesn’t meet the official position of authorities,” Yankov said. He also noted that not only Crimean Tatars are being pursued in the Crimea.
“I would say this: not only Crimean Tatars are being pursued, and not all of them are being pursued. We know that some part of them fully support Russian authorities and cooperate with them. [There have been] numerous kidnappings in the Crimea and criminal prosecution related to dissidence. … There is no persecution of ethnic ‘Crimean Tatars.’ The thing is that Crimean Tatars comprise the main group of people who do not agree with [the annexation of the Crimea],” Yankov added.