Umerov: there’re 221 Ukrainian citizens in Russian prisons, 134 - Crimean Tatars
There are currently 221 citizens of Ukraine in Russian prisons, 134 of them are Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea.
"All these 11 years, the Kremlin persecutes and throws behind bars everyone who does not agree with the occupation - Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian activists, journalists. As a result, today 221 citizens of Ukraine, political prisoners, are illegally held in Russian prisons. Of them, 134 are Crimean Tatars. Political prisoners in Crimea are tortured, tried on fabricated charges and kept in terrible conditions. But neither repression nor prisons could break their will - they remain symbols of Crimea's invincibility," the Defense Ministry quoted Umerov as saying on Wednesday.
The minister recalled that on these dates, 11 years ago, the Russian Federation began aggression, a war against Ukraine - with the temporary occupation of Crimea. "The Kremlin has challenged not only Ukraine, but the entire world, turning Crimea into a military base and threatening the security of the entire Black Sea," Umerov said.
However, the minister noted that resistance also began 11 years ago. Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars were the first to defend their land, initially through non-violent resistance. "On February 26, 2014, Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in Simferopol held a large-scale rally in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine," he noted.
The minister stressed that Ukraine had not reconciled with the occupation: the struggle continues on the front lines, in the rear and in Crimea itself. The country remembers every citizen who remained on the peninsula and is doing everything possible to free them from the new "prison of nations".
"Today we understand that the only language that the aggressor understands is the language of force. Ukraine has changed the balance of power in the Black Sea: our long-range missiles and sea drones destroy the military potential of the occupiers in Crimea every day, and dozens of enemy ships are already lying on the seabed, including the flagship cruiser Moskva. Crimea, my home, is Ukraine! We will bring it home," Umerov said.