Denysova urges global society to protect Crimean Tatars detained in occupied Crimea

Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Ombudsperson Liudmila Denysova has said that the number of Crimean Tatars illegally held by the occupiers could increase from 89 to 95, and also called on the international community to join the process of protecting and liberating Crimean Tatars.

“Today [July 7 – ed.], they detained Emil Ziyadinov, Ismet Ibragimov, Alim Sufyanov, Seyran Khairetdinov, Vadim Bektemirov and Alexander Sizikov, who is a visually impaired person. All of them may be exposed to illegal imprisonment and tortures, like 89 other representatives of the Crimean Tatar people,” Denysova said.

She specified that the Russian Federation resorts to such provocations every time Ukraine raises the issue of de-occupation of the Ukrainian Crimea and the release of Ukrainian political prisoners at all international venues.

“Searches and detentions that took place early in the morning in the apartments of Ukrainian citizens contradict all international rules and constitute a direct violation of article 5 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, according to which everyone is guaranteed the right to liberty and security of person and articles 8 of the Convention – the right to respect for private and family life,” Denysova said.

According to her, the detention of six Crimean Tatars in the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea cannot be ignored by international human rights institutions and world leaders.

“Without the concerted actions by Ukraine and international partners the detained today citizens of Ukraine will once again be depicted as “criminals” by aggressor state in trumped-up cases. I urge representatives of international humanitarian missions, human rights organizations to use all possible levers of influence on the aggressor country in order to stop repressions against the indigenous population and force them to comply with the UN General Assembly resolution of March 27, 2014 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Denysova said.