Ukraine firmly condemns the continuation of Russia’s Stalinist policy, which, according to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to deprive the Crimean Tatars of their homeland and repeat the tragic chapters of the history of deportation. On the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People, the Ukrainian foreign ministry emphasized that the current occupation of the peninsula brings new mass violations of human rights and repression.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Historical Context and Modern Challenges
In a statement published on May 18, it is emphasized that “81 years ago, the Stalinist regime forced the Crimean Tatars to leave their homes, forcibly deporting them to Central Asia.” It is noted that the Russian occupation of Crimea, which began in 2014, has been marked by mass human rights violations, searches, intimidation, and killings of Crimean Tatars. The Russian authorities have banned the activities of the Mejlis and are persecuting representatives of the Crimean Tatar people for political and religious reasons.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry highlighted that the international community supports the recognition of the 1944 deportation as an act of genocide. To date, several countries have officially condemned this event, recognizing it as genocide: Ukraine in 2015, Lithuania and Latvia in 2019, Canada in 2022, and Poland, Estonia, and the Czech Republic in 2024. Recognizing the deportation as genocide is an important step in restoring historical justice and demonstrating solidarity with the Crimean Tatars in their struggle for the right to self-determination and return to their homeland.
The deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 became one of the most brutal pages of Soviet history. In three days, about 200,000 Crimean Tatars were forcibly transported to Central Asia in railway cars, and this tragic event is now regarded as an act of genocide.