18 May 2016, 08:00
Dear compatriots,
Seventy-two years have passed since the enactment of that criminal order of Stalin on deportation of the whole Crimean Tatar population from Crimea, which has already been declared to be the genocide of the peaceful population. Only independent Ukraine let the Crimean Tatars return to their native land, from where their great-grandparents, grandparents and fathers had been deported.
Today the Russia's occupation of Crimea again threw the Crimean Tatars population to the times of cruel persecutions and pressure. The major self-organization body of the Crimean Tatars — Mejlis — has been announced to be an extremist organization. The Russian invaders violently suppress any attempt to support the Crimean Tatars initiatives.
Unfortunately, Ukrainians also suffer similar oppression in Crimea. Schools, libraries are closed, mass media and non-government organizations are banned. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church are eliminated and persecuted on the territory of Crimea.
Recently we have restored historic justice — returned Crimean Tatar names to population centers in Crimea. That is a tribute to the memory of the Crimean Tatars tortured by the Stalin's regime far back in 1944 and Putin's regime today. I am confident that the Crimean population centers will be liberated under their new names.
It is very symbolic that the Ukrainian of the Crimean Tatar nationality, singer Jamala, whose family was a victim of the deportation, won the representative from the aggressor country at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. This is what real justice is.
Ukraine and the Ukrainians are united. Together we will oust the Russian occupant and liberate all Ukrainian lands, build our joint happy future. Today together with our Crimean Tatar brothers we pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Stalin-initiated deportation.
Crimea is Ukraine! Qirim Ukrayna'dir!
Andrii PARUBII