Sep 15, 2015

Crimean Tatars: A Blockade for Human Rights


On 8 September 2015, Crimean Tatar leaders, namely Mustafa Jemilev, Refat Chubarov and Lenur Islyamov, announced a wide-scale public blockade in opposition to the mass delivery of commodities to the occupied territory from Ukraine due to "unsuccessful actions of the government which inflict additional suffering on people". The administrative border with Crimea will, consequentially, be blocked between 21 and 22 September.


Below is an article by Interfax- Ukraine

Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, President of the World Crimean Tatar Congress, MP Refat Chubarov, has said that Crimean Tatar activists are going to block the administrative border with Crimea on September 20-21.

"Either on September 20 or 21 we're blocking the border [between Kherson region and Crimea]. We made the decision," he said at the meeting of the conciliatory board of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for the leaders and heads of factions and groups in the parliament, which was held in Kyiv on Monday [14 September 2015].

According to Chubarov, the reason for the blockade is not just the oppression of the Crimean Tatars in Crimea, but also because "the Crimean issue is getting forgotten" during international negotiations. He also said that the blockade is the result of the "unsuccessful actions of the government which inflict additional suffering on people."

As reported, on September 8, leaders of Crimean Tatars Mustafa Jemilev, Chubarov, and Lenur Islyamov, announced the "Citizens' blockade of Crimea." They said that over 80% of food, water and electricity supplies come to Crimea from Ukraine.

"Why should mainland Ukraine provide for the life of the occupation regime? In accordance with the international norms, the responsibility for legal, material and social situations on the occupied territories lies on the occupant," Jemilev said.

Jemilev also said that he would meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the blockade.

 

 

Photo Courtesy: The Times