Russia creates climate of fear and repression in Crimea – HRW

The Russian authorities have created a pervasive climate of fear and repression in the annexed Crimea.

This is stated in the Human Rights Watch report released on March 18.

Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director for Human Rights Watch, notes that Crimea’s isolation has made it very difficult to conduct comprehensive human rights monitoring there.

“Since Russian forces began occupying Crimea in early 2014, the space for free speech, freedom of association, and media in Crimea has shrunk dramatically. In two years, authorities have failed to conduct meaningful investigations into actions of armed paramilitary groups, implicated in torture, extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, attacks and beatings of Crimean Tatar and pro-Ukraine activists and journalists,” the report says.

In addition, the residents, who chose not to accept Russian citizenship, face discrimination.

The organization reminds that the local authorities declared two Crimean Tatar leaders personae non gratae (obviously referring to Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov) and prohibited them from entering Crimea; searched, threatened, or shut down Crimean Tatar media outlets and banned peaceful gatherings to commemorate historic events, such as the anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars.

The human rights activists also remind against the lawsuit filed to ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

In addition, the Russian organizations that opposed the annexation of Crimea, are harassed.