Today Russian government is hastily reviving Empire in different domains on the pattern of the Soviet Union. Aggression upon Ukraine and annexation of Crimea has spawned grave problems within both external policy and interior life of the state. That is why the process of tightening the screws is spinning up which entails restrictions of civil rights.
Technics put in practice in Crimea are similar to those applied towards opposition in Russia. House and office searches of the activists, assaults on the public figures absonant to the annexation of Crimea, intimidation, arrests, legal prosecutions and illegal detentions have become common phenomena. Authorities are purging political environment seeking to halt activity of the political parties and unions.
Though it's the Crimean Tatars who have become the main target of Russian assaults as majority of them didn't recognize accession of their territory to Russia. That's why today, like 70 years ago, they are subjected to repressions and physical extermination turning into foreigners on their homeland. Russian authorities are doing what it takes to depatriate and exterminate Tatar people, or at least its best representatives. Over the period of occupation tens of activists have been found dead or gone missing. Anticipating repressions more than 10 thousand Crimean Tatars opposing to the annexation and denying Russian citizenship have left the peninsula. Leader of the Crimean Tatars Moustafa Jemiliev and chairman of the Crimean Tatars Majlis in Ukraine Refat Choubarov were forced to stay and work in Ukraine providing that they were forbidden to enter the peninsula.
When describing current situation in Crimea the Head of the Kurultai Central Executive Committee of the Crimean Tatars Zair Smedliaiev declared that the new wave of repression against Tatar people has been unleashed in Crimea: «Such a huge wave cannot be noticed only by those who are standing behind it». As before people are going missing and their corpses are being detected late, and there is no data about even more people missing. Despite abductors were dressed in duty uniform there is no information concerning kidnapped people». In fact current situation in Crimea scarcely differs of the Stalin organized repressions. Occupation authorities deliberately impose and maintain the atmosphere of terror and distrust on the peninsula.
Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation has recently raised persecution of the major council of the Crimean Tatar — Majlis by having requested the Prosecutor General of Russia to check it for extremism. Kremlin propaganda has descended to claim that Crimean Tatars ask themselves to abolish Majlis even though the idea to ban Majlis is equal to banning the whole Tatar people. Majlis is a part of the nation, it embraces people elected by Crimean Tatars and their kins all over Crimea: in the towns and villages. Majlis has no legally admissible bureaucratic structure. The decision to claim Majlis terroristic organization on equal terms with ISIS and Al-Kaeda is ultimate stage of cynism of Kremlin. «It is widely known that Majlis members are not engaged in any illegal activities within Crimean peninsula...» - declared Majlis first Deputy Nariman Jelial. Far-fetched charges in damaging the footholds of Ukrainian electric power line is a Stalin's regime-like farce. Even though it is beyond any doubts that Majlis of the Crimean Tatars is likely to be banned upon absurd and far-fetched accusation presented by Simferopol community. Majlis may even be claimed terrorist organization.
Today we can also spectate cultural assault: the schools with Crimean Tatar language are closed, separate forms dismissed, mosques and educational institutions are subjected to searches as law enforcement bodies are looking for forbidden literature. The only TV channel having broadcasted in Crimean Tatar was denied the license. Similar things occured to «Liale» and «Meidan» TV channels.
In fact Russian authorities deliberately pursue discriminative policy towards Crimean Tatars owing to their nationality. International community represented by such organizations as the UN, OSCE, PACE should decidedly denounce Russia's actions and prevent aggravation of the persecutions of the native Crimean people. According to Refat Chubarov one of the most efficient paces in this direction may be launching a human rights monitoring mission in Crimea under the auspices of the UN.