At Nordic Right, we are committed to advocating for and upholding human rights across the Nordic Region and beyond. Today, we are deeply troubled to report that over 5,000 human rights violations have been recorded in Crimea since the beginning of the Russian occupation in 2014, with the majority of these cases concerning Crimean Tatars.
These disheartening statistics come from Alim Aliiev, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Institute, a public institution of Ukraine representing Ukrainian culture worldwide, who shared this information during the “Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine through the South” conference, as reported by Ukrinform news agency.
Aliiev’s remarks underline the severity of the situation, stating, “Over 5,000 human rights violations have been recorded in Crimea over the past 9.5 years. Most of them concern Crimean Tatars. Russia is trying to draw attention to the Crimean Tatars, posing them as potential terrorists and criminals.” He further highlighted that Crimea has become a model of colonization measures for Russia.
Since the beginning of the occupation, approximately 70,000 people have been forced to leave Crimea, while over 700,000 have arrived from Russia, including both military personnel and civilians. The consequences of these actions have far-reaching implications, impacting not only territorial sovereignty but also the identity, dignity, and future of those affected.
Aliiev emphatically stated, “This is our common war. And in this war, many Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians, and representatives of other nationalities are now at the forefront in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is a war not only for our territory, for our land, but also for our identity, for our dignity, and for our future.”
Nordic Rights stands in solidarity with all those affected by the ongoing human rights violations in Crimea. We condemn the arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and mistreatment of individuals like Bohdan Ziza, an artist who courageously protested by pouring blue and yellow paint, the colors of the Ukrainian national flag, on the Russian “administration” of Yevpatoriia. Tragically, Bohdan Ziza has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and has lost 10 kilograms during his 17-day protest hunger strike. We remain gravely concerned about his health as Russia has not provided any information on his condition.
As a human rights organization, we call on the international community to take swift and decisive action to address these ongoing human rights abuses in Crimea. We urge governments, NGOs, and concerned individuals to join us in condemning these violations and to work towards a peaceful resolution that respects the rights, dignity, and future of all those affected.
