Latest news with #Mejlis
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Legendary dissident Ayşe Seitmuratova dies in Crimea
Ayşe Seitmuratova, a veteran of the Crimean Tatar national movement, has died in occupied Crimea at the age of 88. Source: Head of Crimean Tatar Mejlis Refat Chubarov on Facebook Quote: "Again, sad news has come in from Russian-occupied Crimea which I do not want to believe – the legendary dissident, political prisoner during the Soviet era, journalist, historian and veteran of the Crimean Tatar national movement Ayşe Seitmuratova has died at the age of 88." For reference: Ayşe Seitmuratova was a Crimean Tatar public figure, human rights activist, member of the national movement of Crimean Tatars, political prisoner of the Soviet regime, journalist and publicist in exile. In 1964 she joined the Crimean Tatar national movement in Samarkand Oblast in modern Uzbekistan. She participated in meetings with representatives of the Soviet government, in particular in the Central Committee of the CPSU. In 1966, she was arrested on charges of "inciting national hatred" and put on probation for three years. In 1971, she was again arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for "spreading deliberately false ideas that defame the Soviet state and public order." She served her sentence in Mordovian camps. After her release in 1974, she continued her human rights activism. In 1978, she emigrated to the United States, fearing forced psychiatric treatment. There she worked as a journalist for the Voice of America, Freedom, BBC and Deutsche Welle radio stations, covering the problems of the Crimean Tatar people, the history of their repression, Russification and assimilation. Ayşe Seitmuratova became a symbol of the struggle of the Crimean Tatar people for their rights, dignity and return to their homeland. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russian FSB kidnaps Ukrainian in occupied Crimea
Ukrainian citizen Serhii Hrishchenkov has disappeared in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol (Crimea). He was detained and taken away in an unknown direction by people who identified themselves as Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers. Source: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner Details: Lubinets said that he was contacted by Hrishchenkov's daughter. The detention took place on the night of 6-7 May, and there is still no information about Hrishchenkov's fate or whereabouts. Quote: "These are not isolated cases on the territory of the temporarily occupied peninsula, where people are basically being kidnapped by unknown individuals posing as employees of the Russian Federal Security Service." Serhii Hrishchenkov. Photo: Lubinets Details: Lubinets stressed that such actions are a gross violation of international law, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights: Articles 9.2, 9.4 and 14.2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Articles 5.2 and 5.3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. These documents guarantee detainees and their families the right to receive information about the grounds for detention, their legal status and place of detention. Dmytro Lubinets has already appealed to Tatyana Moskalkova, Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation, demanding that she provide objective information about Hrishchenko's status and whereabouts. Quote: "This case involving a Ukrainian citizen once again demonstrates the inability of the occupation administration to ensure the implementation of international civil and political rights for residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea. Cynicism and human rights violations have become commonplace for thousands of Ukrainian citizens!" Background: On 18 May, the Mejlis (parliament) of the Crimean Tatar People stated that Russia's current policy in occupied Crimea is a direct continuation of Soviet genocidal practices. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky names formerly imprisoned Crimean Tatar activist as Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Nariman Dzhelial, deputy chair of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, to the position of ambassador to Turkey in a decree issued May 14. Dzhelial was released from Russian captivity in a prisoner exchange in June 2024. "To appoint Dzhelial Nariman Enverovych as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey," the presidential decree reads. Dzhelial served as the first deputy chairman of the Mejlis, a representative body of the Crimean Tatar people. Following the occupation of Crimea, Russian forces banned the Mejlis in 2016, declaring it an "extremist organization." Dzhelial participated in the first Crimea Platform in Kyiv on Aug. 23, 2021. The platform aimed to build international support for the peninsula's liberation from Russian occupation. On Sept. 4, 2021, Dzhelial was arrested in Crimea and sentenced by a Russian court to 17 years in prison. He was released alongside nine other prisoners in a swap on June 28, 2024. The announcement of Dzhelial's appointment comes the day before Zelensky is set to travel to Turkey for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. The status of the talks remains unclear, as Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed at the last minute that he will not attend. Zelensky plans to first meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, and potentially fly to Istanbul afterwards. Turkey has positioned itself as a potential mediator in Russia's all-out war against Ukraine by maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with both nations. Leveraging its strategic position and influence in the Black Sea region, Turkey has facilitated negotiations and grain exports, while expressing willingness to participate in ceasefire monitoring. Read also: Exclusive: Ukraine eyes new sanctions on China, but Kyiv wary of peace talks fallout We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crimean Tatar Mejlis rejects any international recognition of Crimea as Russian, chairman says
The Mejlis, the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people, will reject any international recognition of Russian-occupied Crimea as Russian territory, Refat Chubarov, the body's chairman, said in a statement published on Facebook on April 22. Crimean Tatars are the indigenous people of Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Chubarov's statement comes amid reports that the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Any move by the U.S. to recognize the peninsula as Russian would mark a break with a decade of bipartisan consensus in Washington and would violate international law. Chubarov said the Mejlis' stance is grounded in international law and aligns fully with Ukrainian legislation. "Crimea is the homeland of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and an integral part of Ukraine. Accordingly, no one can decide the fate of Crimea under any circumstances, except for the Ukrainian state and the Crimean Tatar people," he wrote. Russia illegally annexed Crimea following a sham referendum held under military occupation and without international observers. For resisting Russian occupation, Crimean Tatars have come under harsh repression by the Russian occupation authorities. Crimean Tatars are represented by the Mejlis, a high representative and executive body with 33 members, and the Kurultai, a national congress with 350 delegates. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Crimean Tatars, historically the majority on the peninsula before Russia's conquest in 1783, have faced widespread persecution under Russian rule. Since 2014, Moscow has used intimidation, religious profiling, and politically motivated terrorism charges to suppress dissent among Crimean Tatars. Many Crimean Tatars have joined Ukraine's Armed Forces since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, with some serving in the volunteer "Crimea" Battalion formed after the 2014 occupation. Ukraine's response to the U.S. proposal is expected at a follow-up meeting in London on April 23. Washington has indicated it may withdraw from ceasefire efforts in the coming days if no progress is made. Ukrainian lawmakers have also opposed the proposal. Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, warned that recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea would have global consequences "much worse than Munich in 1938." Read also: Trump hopes to 'end war' this week. Here's what you need to know We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chairman of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People: Trump is testing Ukraine with messages about territorial concessions
Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, says that the administration of US President Donald Trump has found itself trapped by its own pro-Russian statements and is now "testing" the Ukrainian authorities with signals about possible territorial concessions from Kyiv in exchange for peace. Source: Chubarov in a comment to the Radio Liberty project Quote: "Trump and his entourage ended up in a trap entirely of their own fault. Just recall the stream of friendly messages towards Putin and Russia that they voiced long before any negotiations began. So Moscow realised it… the full imperial essence of Russia came out into the open. Now, it seems to me – and here I move on to assumptions – the Trump administration is testing the Ukrainian leadership and political class by spreading various messages on the topic of territorial concessions by Ukraine, supposedly necessary to end the Russo-Ukrainian war and achieve lasting peace." Details: Chubarov stressed that Ukraine must maintain a categorical rejection of any, even hypothetical, proposals of territorial concessions in exchange for peace. Quote: "Because it is clear that in such a case there would be neither peace nor a future for the Ukrainian state. Meanwhile, since such provocations will continue, the Ukrainian authorities and politicians should respond firmly in every case when real political figures are behind them." Details: Chubarov reiterated that the Mejlis rejects any form of recognition of Russian control over Crimea – both de facto and de jure. Quote: "Our position, which is fully based on international law and entirely in line with Ukraine's national legislation, is as follows: Crimea is the homeland of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and an integral part of Ukraine. Accordingly, no one and under no circumstances may decide the fate of Crimea except the Ukrainian state and the Crimean Tatar people." Background: On 17 April, negotiations took place in Paris involving Ukraine, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany on ending the Russo-Ukrainian war. The next round of talks is scheduled for this week in London. US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Ukraine and Russia would reach an agreement soon, after which both countries would "start to do big business with the United States of America". The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine is under pressure to respond this week to a range of proposals from the Trump administration on how to end the war in Ukraine. These include the potential US recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and excluding Kyiv from joining NATO. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
