The article below is published by the Crimean News Agency:

A decision to establish the Crimean Forum, an annual meeting to bring together the political prisoners of the Communist regime and human rights activists, has been taken during a meeting of former political prisoners, human rights activists and representatives of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people, which took place in Aqmescit/ Simferopil on May 19, according to the Majlis’s press service.

As noted in a statement on the establishment of the Crimean Forum, its main purpose is to ensure the continuity of human rights movement of the former Soviet Union in the institutions of civil society in post-Soviet states. 

The meeting also adopted a statement titled ‘The past of Russia threatens its future’ (the project proposed by the participants from Russia) and an appeal to the Ukrainian society to unite efforts to protect democracy in the country (proposed by the participants from the Ukraine). 
At the end of the meeting, the participants thanked Chairman of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Cemil for organizing their stay in Crimea and participating in many memorial events held in the autonomy on the eve of May 18. 

In his turn, Mustafa Cemil expressed gratitude on behalf of the whole Crimean Tatar people.
“Gratitude of the Crimean Tatars to each of you is immeasurable, because in the darkest times of the Crimean Tatar people, you sacrificed your personal freedom and helped them to fight for the right to return to their homeland, Crimea. For us, it is a great honour to welcome you in our native land, for that we are returning home, there is your contribution too,” he said. 

As reported, former prisoners of the Communist regime, dissidents and human rights activists gathered in Crimea to commemorate the victims of the Deportation against the Crimean Tatar people on May 18, 1944 and decades of enforced confinement in the places of exile.