In connection with the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the “Declaration on the Recognition of Unlawful and Criminal Repressive Acts against Peoples Having Undergone Forced Resettlement and Ensuring Their Rights”
Thirty years ago, on November 14, 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a historical record.
By its name – “Declaration on ensuring rights of deported people and the recognition of repressive acts against the peoples subjected to forced displacement being illegal and criminal” – contained particular legal and political assessment. “The eviction during the Second World War from the native places of the Balkars, Ingush, Kalmyks, Karachais, Crimean-Tatars, Germans, Meskhetian Turks, and Chechens” was defined as “barbaric actions of the Stalin regime”.
Stating that “unequivocally condemns the practice of forced resettlement of entire ethnics as a grave offence, contrary to the fundamentals of international law”, the Supreme Council of the USSR ensured that “the violation of human rights and humanitarian standards at the state level will never happen again.”
The adoption of the Declaration inspired the Crimean Tatar people, instilled in them hope for a swift restoration of historical justice. However, this did not happen. “Trampling the human rights and humanity norms” did not stop – not only at the national but also on the regional public social levels.
In the first case, this was manifested in the sabotage of the organised return of the Crimean Tatars to Crimea, as the proposal of such a plan and pace of repatriation that would drag it for many decades.
In the second case, the local government sometimes secretly, sometimes openly SUPPORTED hostile atmosphere in Crime against return of the indigenous people in the land of their ancestors, did not obstruct incitement of hatred by chauvinist forces, including through the influential media, the state of psychosis and drag the placement and arrangement of the Crimean Tatars at home, refused to allocate land, forcing repatriates to go on a massive initiative occupation of land.
After the February-March 2014 geopolitical changes – dramatic events recognised by the United Nations as “accession” Crimea with the Russian Federation, contrary to international standards and agreements, speaking the language of the Declaration, “violation of human rights and humanity norms” also continued. It acquired the form of permanent actions on the part of the government and its power structures directed against the individual.
These are numerous searches, detentions, arrests, lengthy lawsuits, fines, long-term confinement in pre-trial detention centres, and finally, imprisonment for extremely long periods as if the persons involved in these processes committed severe crimes against the person.
In the vast majority of cases of administrative and criminal harassment by Russian law enforcement officials, defendants and ones who received substantial prison terms are the Crimean-Tatars, the children and grandchildren of those who became victims of the “barbaric actions of the Stalinist regime.”
We are a group of delegates of Kurultay of the Crimean-Tatar people and participants of the Crimean Tatar national movement, declare:
– “The Declaration on the recognition of being illegal and criminal the repressive acts against peoples subjected to forced resettlement, and ensuring their rights” as the most important political and legal document in the Russian Federation as the successors of the USSR, being ignored ;
– All political prisoners – prisoners of conscience in prison or under investigation, in accordance with international law, are subject to early release;
– Russian authorities must bring the legislation regulating the rights of the peoples repressed during the Second World War into line with the spirit and letter of the Declaration of November 14, 1989.