FUEN expresses its deep concern about escalating situation in Ukraine and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen: We urge all relevant parties to engage in a meaningful dialogue for a peaceful and constructive solution in accommodating the interests and providing a safe environment for the Crimean Tatars.

Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) expresses its deep concern about escalating situation in Ukraine and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

We express our solidarity with our member organization Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People which currently faces a turbulent period in its history. We deeply regret that  a long-standing  leader of the Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian MP,  Mustafa Dzhemiliev,  is perceived as persona non grata by the Russian authorities and banned from entering his homeland, Crimea, for five years. The same fate followed the chairman of Mejlis, Refat Chubarov, who also can not return to Crimea and may face a criminal prosecution under Russia’s anti-extremism legislation. We deeply regret that on 18 May 2014 the Crimean Tatars were debarred from the 70th commemoration of en mass deportation.  We express our concern over the recent raid and impound of the building of the Crimean Tatars Mejlis by the Russian authorities ending up in withdrawal of documents and equipment.

This highlights a broader campaign of successive infringement and restriction on fundamental freedoms and rights including  freedom of association, right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and  expression and arbitrary restrictions.

We urge all relevant parties to engage in a meaningful dialogue for a peaceful and constructive solution in accommodating the interests and providing a safe environment for the Crimean Tatars, a historic minority of Crimea and the most vulnerable player involved in the geopolitical conflict between Russian Federation and Ukraine.

With around 90 member organisations in 32 European countries, we are committed to protect and promote the identity, language, culture, rights and own character of the European minorities. The rights of minorities should be guaranteed, protected and promoted  in accordance with international standards, norms and values.