On 18 May, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People, the faсade of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was illuminated in the colours of the Crimean Tatar flag.
The memory of hundreds of thousands of deported Crimean Tatars was honoured by Members of Parliament of Ukraine, the leadership of the Parliamentary Secretariat, representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and diplomatic missions of states that have recognised the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people as an act of genocide. Ukraine was the first state to recognise this at the legislative level. Subsequently, similar decisions were adopted by the parliaments of Latvia, Lithuania, Canada, Poland, Estonia, Czech Republic, and Netherlands.
Tamila Tashева, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, thanked the representatives of states that have recognised the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people as an act of genocide during her speech. She stressed that the crime that began in 1944 continues, unfortunately, to this day.
“The evil that was not punished after the deportation can still be seen today — following the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion. The hybrid or physical deportation of Ukrainian citizens from the occupied territories, the deportation of Ukrainian children — all of this is a consequence of impunity,” Tamila Tashева stressed.
Mustafa Dzhemilev, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, shared his family’s memories of those tragic events. At the time of the deportation, he was only a few months old, however he has carried the memory of the crime against the Crimean Tatar people throughout his life.
“Ukraine has not forgotten and will never forget about Crimea, and a bright future is possible only after its liberation from russian occupation. I am convinced that sooner or later the Crimean Tatar national flag, together with the state flag of Ukraine, will fly over the building of the Verkhovna Rada — both in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in Kyiv,” Mustafa Dzhemilev said.
The Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Olha Kuryshko, thanked the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for its systematic work on protecting the rights of victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people, as well as members of the diplomatic corps for their clear position and support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“When we speak today about 1944, we cannot fail to speak about what is happening in Crimea now. We sincerely admire the Crimean Tatar people — their struggle and their aspiration to return home,” Olha Kuryshko said.