Jun 12, 2012

Crimean Tatars: Targeted By Authorities


Human Rights associations have denounced the numerous searches to which Muslim families are subjected in Ukraine and particularly in Crimea.

Below is an article published by Crimean News Agency:

Muslim families living in Crimea and Ukraine are subjected to numerous searches by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), announced a member of NGO Human Rights Movement of Crimea, Enver Qadır.

In this regard, the head of the board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Co-Chairman of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group Yevhen Zakharov expressed concern about this and noted that it is necessary to determine on what basis the SBU conducted such searches.

Zakharov stressed that the searches were not among the representatives of radical groups, but in Muslim families. Human rights activist considers these actions as a manifestation of the growing Islamophobia, which is caused by a misunderstanding of the religion.

According to Human Rights Movement of Crimea, “in some cases applicants inform that during the searches, the SBU officers planted things like guns, ammunition and grenades.”

There is reason to believe that “the security forces have grossly violated human rights,” Krymskotatarske Pytannia online (The Crimean Tatar Issue online) writes.
In addition, during the searches the SBU officers seized computers, electronic media, and religious literature.