The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) strongly condemns the order on 26 April 2016 by Russian authorities in illegally occupied Crimea to ban the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, branding the representative assembly as an extremist organization, and appeals to the international community to take immediate action to protect the rights of the Crimean Tatar people on the peninsula.
This order follows a series of repressive actions by Russian authorities aimed at intensifying the persecution of the Crimean Tatar people in Russia-occupied Crimea and further curtailing the work of civil society.
“The Ukrainian World Congress urges the international community, including human rights organizations, to take urgent action in response to the continued erosion of fundamental freedoms in Russia-occupied Crimea, including freedom of speech and assembly,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
