As part of lawsuit against Russia, Ukraine demands that ban on Crimean Tatar Mejlis be lifted
Ukraine demands that Russia stop the persecution of the Crimean Tatars and restore the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People as part of Kyiv's lawsuit against Moscow that was filed with the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
“We demand that Russia stop the violations of the International Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination and to take measures to protect all ethnic groups in the occupied Crimea, in particular, Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians. In addition, we demand an immediate resumption of the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, to take measures to prevent further disappearances, murders and torture against Crimean Tatars and to resume the activity of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian media, and educational institutions in the territory annexed by Russia, the Crimea,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, said at a briefing in Kyiv.
Klimkin noted that Russia violated the international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination by participating in a discrimination campaign against non-Russian communities living in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, in particular, ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.
This could be seen in the prohibition of the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, as well as in other measures including unauthorized searches, detentions, attempts to stop the broadcasting of media and also the restriction on the teaching of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, Klimkin explained.
“Of course, we want compensation for the damage. Also, we want the world and in this case, the International Court of Justice to say that Russia violated international law,” Klimkin clarified. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also noted that the Ukrainian party has the opportunity to file an additional lawsuit in the case of the Russian Federation committing new crimes.