The Foreign Ministry recalled that 12 years ago, on March 16, 2014, Russia, under the guns of the military, staged a “sham” and illegal “referendum” in Crimea and Sevastop.
“Within a few days, the Russian occupiers used this action, insignificant in its legal nature, to create the appearance of “grounds” for the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,” the statement says.
The department noted that the occupation of Ukrainian territories grossly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the fundamental principles of international law.
Over the years, the Foreign Ministry notes, Russia has turned Crimea into “a lawless territory where people are intimidated, persecuted and imprisoned simply because of the language they speak, the views they hold, or the faith they profess.” Russia illegally banned the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and forcibly stopped the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The indigenous people of the peninsula, the Crimean Tatars, were subjected to especially cruel oppression. Tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars have been forced to leave, and those who remain are persecuted and intimidated.
“In total, during the years of occupation, at least 430 people went through politically motivated cases, although the real number may exceed 500, because not all cases are publicly reported by the occupation authorities,” the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Now, according to the department, about 300 people are in Russian prison on politically fabricated cases, among them 159 Crimean Tatars.
The department called for their immediate release, permission to return safely to Ukraine, and provide the necessary medical assistance.
“Despite the pressure of the occupation regime on the peninsula, there remains resistance to the occupation and people who hold Ukraine in their hearts. We remember them, we know about their position and we will never stop fighting for the liberation of the peninsula,” the Foreign Ministry added.
Context
The accession of the peninsula to the Russian Federation is not recognized by Ukraine and most countries of the world. The US State Department called the “referendum” at gunpoint in Crimea a “farce.”
