Top-5 news on Crimea

VANDALS BREAK INTO MEJLIS BUILDING

February 21, 2016

– Unidentified individuals infiltrated the courtyard and broke into one of the Mejlis’s offices in Simferopol’s Zhidkova street on February 21.

– Three unidentified individuals forced their way into the courtyard and smashed the windows at the back of the Mejlis’s building to gain entry. Once inside, they broke the office’s glass doors. Crimean police did nothing to investigate the accident.

– Under a false pretext, Crimean police staged an 11-hour search of the Mejlis’s head office on September 16, 2014. The following day, the Prosecutor Office issued an order banning the use of movable and immovable property owned by the foundation, including the building of the Mejlis’s head office, and froze the organization’s bank accounts.

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CRİMEANS OUTRAGED OVER AUTHORİTİES’S FAİLURE TO TACKLE SOCİAL AND ECONOMİC İSSUES

February 19, 2016 13:59

– There has been an increase in the number of openly staged protests against authorities’ failure to tackle  social and economic issues in occupied Crimea, says a report released by the press service of the Chief Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Over 350 thousand residents of Crimea are estimated to have taken part in the protests.

– Over 350 thousand Crimean residents have lambasted the authorities over grossly inadeqate suplies of food, medications, electricity, heat and water. There has also been a loud outcry over soaring prices and unemployment.

– Crimean residents are particularly outraged at the Kremlin’s turning a blind eye to the coercive and harassing methods Russian collection agencies have been using in collecting debts, including debts owned to utility companies.

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EU COURT HEARS A CASE ON OCCUPATİON OF CRİMEA

February 18, 2016

– On February 18, the European Court of Human Rights heard a lawsuit filed against Russia over losses it caused to 4 thousand businesses.

– The European Court of Human Rights held a hearing on Uklraine’s lawsuit against Russia filed by the Ukrainian Justice Ministry. Ukraine is suing Russia for damages caused by illegal annexion of Crimea, violation of the rights of Crimean residents committed during seizure of power in Crimea and other activities perpetrated by the occupation authorities.

–The lawsuit claims that 4 thousand economic entities in Crimea, including state-owned Chornomornaftogaz, suffered losses due to Russia’s occupation of the penninsula. The European Court of Human Rights extended the deadline for submitting explanations in the case untill the end of 2016.

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POLICE SEARCHED AKIM BEKIROV’S HOUSEHOLD IN SIMFEROPOL

February 18

– Another blatant case of human rights abuses was recorded in the village of Kurtsy of the Simferopol district on February 18.

– Policemen wearing balaclavas and carrying machine guns forced their way into Akim Bekirov’s house where only two minors aged 12 and 15 were (their parents were out of Crimea at the time). Akim Bekirov’s parents and his brother, who quickly came to the house, were not allowed in.

– There were no witnesses while the police were searching the house. The children were shocked. The neighbors who were outraged by what the police were doing were kept at a distance by the police officers carrying machine guns. The police officers seized all computers, books and CDs.

– Searches of Crimean Tatars’ houses have been underway in Crimea since February. Following the searches, 4 individuals have been arrested on terrorism charges and will be held in custody until April 8.

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LAWSUİT SEEKİNG TO BAN MEJLİS FİLED

February 15, 2016

– Natalya Poklonskaya, Prosecutor of Crimea, handed over a copy of a lawsuit seeking to ban the Mejlis to Mejlis Vice Chairman Nariman Jelyal.

– Poklonskaya filed an appeal with the Supreme Council of Crimea requesting that the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars be banned pursuant to Article 9 of the Federal Law ‘On Countering Extremist Activities’.

– The Mejlis is a representative body of the Crimean Tatar people to which Kurultay members are elected at a congress of the Crimean Tatars.

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