Ukraine's Rada Appeals for International Support on Crimea's Occupation Anniversary

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has appealed to the parliaments and governments of foreign countries, international organizations and their parliamentary assemblies on the anniversary of resistance to the occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

This was announced by MP from the Voice party Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

During the plenary session on February 26, 291 MPs supported the relevant resolution №13034.

In the statement, the parliament emphasizes that the liberation of Crimea and Sevastopol is a key condition for the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Ukraine aims to create conditions for the sustainable development and reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol after its liberation," the document says.

The Council also called on the international community to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and to help build a lasting peace that will ensure security for the whole of Europe.

Over the 11 years of the annexation of Crimea, 385 people have been prosecuted for political reasons. As of today, 240 of them are in detention.

Recently, in the occupied Crimea, Russian security forces conducted massive searches in the homes of Crimean Muslim Tatars. The raids took place in the villages of Dzhankoy and Kirov districts.

The occupants were Emir Kurtnezirov from the village of Lobanove. The searches also took place in the houses of Rustem Mustafayev in the village of Istochne, Abibulla Smedlyayev in Novokrymske and Mirzaal Tajibayev in the village of Yarke Pole.

All four were detained by the FSB. Later, it became known about the fifth detainee - Bakhtiyar Ablaev from the village of Kovylne, Dzhankoy district.

In 2024, 61 searches were recorded in the occupied Crimea, of which 35 were conducted in the homes of Crimean Tatars.

Also, according to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, after the occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation has been actively practicing religious persecution on the peninsula. Currently, 117 people are being persecuted in the so-called " Hizb ut-Tahrir case". 114 of them are representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. 82 of them are serving their sentences in Russian prisons and colonies, while 28 are in pre-trial detention centers, 2 are under house arrest, and 5 have been released. The charges in these "cases", according to the CTRC, are based on the testimony of "hidden witnesses" and the conclusions of "experts" who actively cooperate with the Russian Federal Security Service.

Андрій Колісніченко