UK calls on Russia to end human rights violations in Crimea

By Interfax-Ukraine.

Published March 28, 2019 at 8:58 pm

The poster reads: "Bring back the sons to mothers". People hold portraits of Crimean political prisoners and victims of the Russian regime as they participate in the march for solidarity with Crimean Tatars who did a rally in 2014 near Crimean parliament as they protested Russian occupation of the peninsula on Feb. 26, 2014.

Photo by Anastasia Vlasova

The British Embassy to Ukraine calls on Russia to release the detained Crimean Tatars.

“Alarming to see unlawful searches and arrests of Crimean Tatars by Russian authorities. We call on Russia to end human rights violations and prosecution of those who oppose its illegal annexation of Crimea, and to release the detained Crimean Tatars immediately. #CrimeaisUkraine,” it said on Twitter.

As reported, on March 28, Russian security forces in the illegally annexed city of Simferopol during searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars detained at least 16 people (according to Russia’s Federal Security Service [FSB] – about 20 people).

The General Directorate of the National Police in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea opened criminal proceedings on the facts of illegal searches of the Crimean Tatars’ homes in Simferopol (occupied Crimea), procedural guidance of which will be carried out by the prosecutor’s office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.