Russia may ban Mejlis as extremist organization

The reason for that may become the “food blockade” in Crimea, co-organized by the “Right Sector” organization forbidden in Russia.

As TASS Russian media outlet reports, this was announced by the so-called “Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea” Ruslan Balbek.

He recalled that the “Right Sector” organization is banned in Russia as an extremist organization, while leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev and head of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov together with the “Right Sector” conduct a campaign to block the trucks, carrying Ukrainian food and goods, on the administrative border with the peninsula.

“If these people are further involved in extremist activities and carry out joint actions with the organizations, banned in the Russian Federation, their activity will be banned,” Ruslan Balbek noted.

As reported, the leading mass media of Crimea and Sevastopol received a letter from the Ministry of Home Policy, Information and Communications of Republic of Crimea with the reference to the so-called “prosecutor” of the Republic of Crimea Natalia Poklonska. The letter advised not to mention the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people in news stories, articles and interviews, as it was not registered in the Russian Federation and was considered a defunct organization.

The ongoing campaign to block the traffic of trucks heading to Crimea with products and goods, initiated by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, started on September 20. Holding this action, the Crimean Tatars demand to release Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia and to cease harassment of activists and journalists in the occupied peninsula.