russia has violated at least 18 articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through forced assimilation, displacement, and destruction of cultural heritage, media censorship, and obstruction of representative institutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said in a statement.
“All three indigenous peoples of Ukraine – Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks – continue to suffer from russia’s aggression and face systematic persecution in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, temporarily occupied by russia.
At least 169 victims of politically motivated persecution in Crimea belong to indigenous peoples. They face systematic repression, including arrests, torture, restrictions on the use of their native languages, and searches of schools, mosques, and homes.
Ukraine calls on the international community to act decisively to protect the cultural heritage and rights of Crimea’s indigenous peoples, condemn russia’s discriminatory policies, and hold russia accountable for its crimes. russia’s occupation must not be allowed to erase the identities, history, and presence of Crimea’s indigenous peoples from their homeland.”
