Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars Deyna Smail passes away

On Tuesday, November 11, a well-known activist of the Crimean Tatar national movement and head of the regional Mejlis, <b>Deyna Smail</b>, passed away in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. He was 67 years old.

This was reported by Eskender Bariev, Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, member of the Presidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

"The death of Smail Deyna is a loss for the Crimean Tatar community and all those who are fighting for the de-occupation of the peninsula. The activist was a long-time member of the national movement aimed at restoring the rights of the indigenous people of Crimea. His contribution to the return of the Crimean Tatars to their homeland and the defense of their rights under occupation was extremely important.

"Deyna Smail headed the Seitler (Nizhnegorsk) Regional Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars for a long time, was an active organizer and participant in the famous foot march in 1999," Bariiev noted.

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center also expressed sincere condolences to Smail's family and friends.

Also, on the morning of October 22, 2025, after a long illness, Eldar Ebubekirov, son of Safinar Dzhemilev and the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, People's Deputy of Ukraine Mustafa Dzhemilev, died at the age of 52.

The Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, expressing his condolences to the family, noted that in the 2000s Eldar Ebubekirov was a member of the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent, which was part of the multinational coalition in Iraq from 2003 to 2008.

As a reminder, in April, a film about the love and struggle of Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev and his wife is to premiere. The film shows their steadfastness in exile and repression, drawing attention to the theme of dignity and justice.

Катерина Глушко