Nov 20, 2007

Crimean Tatars: Appeal to OSCE on Human Rights


As they face increasing Ukrainian discrimination, Crimean Tatars appeal to the OSCE High Commissioner on Human Rights concerning their situation in Ukraine and their recognition of their collective rights.
As they face increasing Ukrainian discrimination, Crimean Tatars appeal to the OSCE High Commissioner on Human Rights concerning their situation in Ukraine and their recognition of their collective rights as historical inhabitants of Crimean. 

Below is an excerpt published by Ukrayinska Pravda:

Crimean Tatars’ public organizations appeal to OSCE High Commissioner on Human Rights Rolf Ekeus because of Ukrainian increasing discrimination policy toward Crimean Tatars. 

The application claims that “the tendency of non-acceptance or even rejection of Crimean Tatars’ rights has intensified among the authorities of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC) during the last few years.

The appeal also concerns to their collective rights of the solemn ethnos and to the rights of individuals, residents of Crimea that is the only place of their historical formation and inhabitation, informed Obkom referring to UNIAN news agency. 

According to the authors of application, they feel hostile opposition from both chauvinistic public or militarized institutions and corrupted local government that has support in judicial and law enforcing bodies. In its turn bribed by the government mass media presses anti-Crimean Tatar hysteria propagandizing and morally supporting the provocations.

The authors informed that “open vandal acts and raider attacks on Crimean Tatars had place in Bakhchisarai, 2006 and Simferopol, 2007. Besides, half a hundred Crimean Tatars have been severely bitted by people in military uniform in Simferopol (Balaklavska Street) and on Ay-Petri plateau (November 2007)”. 

But there was no reaction from state and ARC authorities. None of Ministry of Internal Affairs workers was punished or made responsible, which can evaluate this act as the beginning of political discrimination. Crimean Tatars have very serious reason to think that Ukrainian state has no desire and will to solve their political and lawful problems.

That is the reason why Crimean Tatars’ public organizations drew attention of the OSCE High Commissioner on Human Rights to the events that had place in Crimea, and asked to organize monitoring system on human rights preserving and use all means and opportunities to protect constitutional and national rights of Crimean Tatars.