The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest against the so-called decision of the occupying prosecution office on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to suspend the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars.

This decision has become yet another step in the chain of crimes of the Russian occupying authorities against representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, indigenous people of Crimea. We consider it as a blatant violation of Russia’s commitments as an occupying power under international law, including under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

During the last two years, Kremlin has turned the Ukrainian peninsula into the area of oppressions, intimidations and persecutions, massive violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Against this backdrop, accusations of the Meijlis of the extremist activity look particular cynical.

Despite firm condemnation by Ukraine and other democratic states of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Kremlin, by all its aggressive actions against Ukraine, continues to blatantly disregard international law and fair demands of the entire civilized world.

Ukraine calls on all international community to urge the occupying power to immediately halt massive violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms in the peninsula and to provide access to international organizations to the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea for permanent monitoring of the situation in the field of human rights; unite efforts for de-occupation of Crimea.