20 March 2025
Occupiers Destroy the Housing of Crimean Tatar Movement Veteran Rustem Useinov
On March 20, in the village of Morske, Feodosiia district, the occupiers demolished and removed the trailer that served as the home of Crimean Tatar movement veteran Rustem Useinov.
Rustem Useinov was building a house on his own land, but after the occupation of Crimea in 2014, he was unable to complete the necessary paperwork. The occupation administration declared his home an “illegal structure” and, despite his appeal, demolished the building in 2021. For two years, the veteran was forced to live in a tent before eventually setting up a trailer as his residence.
A few months ago, Rustem Useinov found a notice on his door stating that his temporary housing was allegedly “illegal.” On the morning of March 20, around 15 people arrived at his residence, including representatives of the occupation police, an FSB officer, the so-called “head of the village administration,” and one of the occupation “deputies” from Sudak. Shortly after, a tow truck with a crane arrived, loaded the trailer, and removed it.
“I’ll go to the stores now, look for a tent, and live in it. I already lived in a tent for two years after my house was demolished. First, I have nowhere else to go. Second, this is an ancient village, the land of my ancestors. Our village has over two thousand years of history. My grandparents, great-grandparents, and ancestors lived here for generations. For two thousand years, countless generations have changed, but all of mine have lived here. So, there’s no question—I’m staying,” said Rustem Useinov.
The actions of the occupation administration in Crimea constitute a blatant violation of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to housing, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The forced demolition of Useinov’s home and the removal of his trailer without providing alternative housing is an act of forced eviction, which directly contradicts international legal norms.
Moreover, the actions of the occupiers violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forced displacement of civilians in occupied territories. The expulsion of a Crimean Tatar activist from his land is part of a systematic policy aimed at erasing the Crimean Tatar people and their cultural heritage. This also contradicts the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which guarantees the right to land, resources, and self-determination.
Ukraine calls on the international community to intensify pressure on Russia to halt its lawlessness in the occupied territories, end repressions against Crimean Tatars, and stop gross human rights violations in Crimea.