WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA ON MAY 14, 2024
Main news of the week
▶️ Russian occupiers deprived Bohdan Ziza, an illegally sentenced artist and activist from occupied Crimea, of the opportunity to contact his family. He has not been able to contact his relatives for three months. In Yevpatoriia, the occupiers illegally sentenced the Ukrainian activist to 15 years in prison and illegally transported him to Russia. The man is accused of alleged “terrorism” for opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine and for allegedly pouring blue and yellow paint on an administrative building of the occupiers.
▶️ Osman Arifmemetov, a civic journalist who was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony, was transferred to Minusinsk prison in Krasnoiarsk region in the Russian Federation, where the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelial is currently being held. In March 2019, the occupiers illegally detained Osman Arifmemetov for covering the “court trials” of other political prisoners.
Crimes committed by the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea
▶️ As of May 7, 2024, Russia has illegally detained 218 people in occupied Crimea on ethnic, religious, and political grounds, including 133 Crimean Tatars.
▶ ️ In the occupied Crimea, the Russian occupying forces continue their illegal tendency to intimidate and persecute the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people. The occupants illegally visit the houses of the Crimean Tatar activists, lawyers, journalists and force them to read the alleged “warning about the inadmissibility of extremist actions” and to record the video with it. The occupiers are threatening the Crimean Tatar activists with administrative and criminal proceedings on political grounds because of the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, which will be commemorated on May 18. The “warning” was issued to public defender and activist Seit-Osman Karaliiev, lawyers and spouses Lilia Hemedzhi and Rustem Kamilov, human rights defender and lawyer Nazym Sheikhmambetov, human rights defender and journalist Lutfiie Zudiieva.
▶ ️ The Russian occupants continue to illegally transport Ukrainian grain from the occupied territories of Ukraine. According to residents of the occupied Crimea, in Sevastopol the Russian occupiers loaded the bulk carrier “Sofia” with about 10 thousand tons of stolen wheat. The ship will sail to the port of Kavkaz. The Russians plan to reload the wheat to send it to Bangladesh.
Illegal mobilization and violations of the Geneva Conventions, the laws and customs of war
▶ ️ According to the residents of the occupied Crimea, the Russian occupiers have set up another mobile recruitment center for service in the Russian occupation army in the war against Ukraine, and this is a violation of international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of war. Moreover, the activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls Movement report that the occupiers are illegally conscripting people with health problems for military service.
Using the territory of occupied Crimea as a springboard for attacks on Ukraine
According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on May 8, at night, the Russians launched a massive missile attack on 7 regions of Ukraine, including the launch of 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 1 Iskander-K cruise missile from the territory of the occupied Crimea. Power infrastructure, approximately 30 residential buildings, and public transport were damaged. Moreover, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russians launched a massive air attack with 30 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs, including from Cape Chauda in the occupied Crimea on the night of May 9-10.
The occupied Crimea has been used as a military base for spreading aggression in various forms since Russia started the full-scale invasion and expanding aggression on the whole territory of Ukraine. The occupants continue to launch missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine, including civilian infrastructure.
Resistance movement of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Crimea
▶ Russia has already prosecuted 802 people in the occupied Crimea for expressing solidarity with Ukraine. People receive administrative punishments in the form of illegal fines and arrests.
▶ A 64-year-old resident of the occupied village of Kirovske, Feodosiia region, published posts on social media supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and despising Russia’s occupation symbols. Russian security forces illegally detained the woman for 5 days and fined her 35 thousand rubles.
▶️ In the occupied Sevastopol, a 58-year-old resident shouted anti-Russian slogans and spoke out against the dictatorial regime in Russia. The occupation “court” accused the man of allegedly “justifying terrorism” and illegally sentenced him to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment.
▶️ A local flower seller in the occupied city of Sudak sold yellow and blue flowers and refused to display Russian symbols in her flower shop. Russian security forces are currently prosecuting the woman.
▶️ A resident of the occupied town of Saky was detained by Russian security forces for listening to Ukrainian songs, and a case was filed against him in court, allegedly accusing him of “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces”.
▶️ A man from the occupied Crimea posted a photo of the Ukrainian flag on his social media and congratulated people on the Ukrainian holiday. The occupiers detained the man and accused him of “discrediting theRussian Armed Forces”.
▶️ A resident of occupied Sevastopol moved to Spain after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and actively supported Ukraine on social media. The Russian occupiers are searching for and persecuting the man to hold him accountable for his solidarity with Ukraine.
▶ ️ The resident of occupied Sevastopol expressed pro-Ukrainian slogans, including “Glory to Ukraine”. Russian security forces detained the man and illegally prosecuted him for allegedly “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.”
▶️ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue to distribute yellow ribbons and patriotic posters in the cities of occupied Crimea. So pro-Ukrainian posters were seen on the streets of Yalta, Simferopol and Sevastopol. In addition, activists report that over 15 people from the temporarily occupied cities of Crimea joined the resistance movement during the week. Activists are also continuing the “Burn the Russian” campaign, destroying symbols of the occupiers and propaganda materials. In addition, despite Russian propaganda, activists managed to honor the memory of Ukrainians who gave their lives in the fight against Nazism in World War II.
▶️ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in the occupied Crimea.
▶️ The Zla Mavka resistance movement continues to keep diaries and publish a weekly newspaper that exposes the crimes of the occupiers. The activists also managed to honor the memory of the victims of World War II.
▶️ Activists of the ATESH resistance movement recorded another arrival of Russian invaders in Dzhankoi, meanwhile at the local railway station they recorded mass transportation of wounded and killed Russian soldiers being brought from the left bank of the occupied Kherson region. The activists also searched an oil depot and a parking lot of Russian military equipment in the Simferopol district of the occupied Crimea and provided all the information to the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
The full-scale invasion was marked by a sharp increase in solidarity and resistance actions of the residents of the occupied Crimea against the Russian occupiers. The residents of the occupied territories unite in resistance movements, such as the aforementioned Yellow Ribbon, Crimean Combat Seagulls, Zla Mavka, and ATESH, or act individually. In order to suppress the resistance movement of the residents of the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea after February 24, 2022, the occupiers actively began to prosecute and bring to administrative responsibility Ukrainian citizens under the article on the so-called “discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”.
We urge the international community not to ignore Russian crimes against Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Crimea and to disseminate information about human rights violations in the occupation.