Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Was Awarded “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize

12 July 2011

On June 9, 2011 Lvov Regional Philharmonic Society housed the solemn ceremony of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize, given for the spiritual, moral and ethic leadership. In 2011 the Ukrainian-Canadian jury awarded it to the Chairman of Crimean Tatar Mejlis, famous human rights advocate, MP of Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mustafa Jemilev.

One of the most beautiful halls of the ancient Lvov gathered more than 500 people that day. Among the honored guests there were the founder of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize Anastasiya Shkilnik with her husband Jim, fist prize-winner of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize Eugene Sverstuk, Rector of Ukraine Catholic University (UCU), father Boris Gudzyak, Vice-Rector of UCU, the former political prisoner Miroslav Marinovich, Canadian MP Boris Vzheznevsky, mayor of Lvov Andrey Sadovoy, Mustafa Jemilev’s wife, Chairwoman of the League of Crimean Tatar women Safinar Jemileva, President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars, First Deputy Chairman of Mejlis Refat Chubarov, members of Mejlis Sinaver Kadyrov, Zevdzhet Kurtumerov, Bekir Mamutov and Ali Khamzin, veteran of Crimean Tatar national movement Anafi Jemilev, famous historian Gulnara Bekirova, Deputy Chairman of Crimean regional organization Narodny Rukh of Ukraine Alexander Yakovlenko, Mustafa Jemilev’s old team-mate on human rights advocacy in the USSR, today the independent journalist Alexander Podrabinek, journalists of Turkish TV channel “TRT” Zafer and Neshe Qaratay, representatives of the international public organization “Bizim Qirim” Abduraman Egiz and Seyran Aliev, as well as Mikhail Shkilnik’s grand children and great grand children who came from Canada along with Anastasiya Shkilnik.

After the performance of the state anthem of Ukraine by the chorus of the Ukrainian Catholic University the famous TV journalist and PhD in History Daniil Yanevsky opened the awarding ceremony greeting the participants and guests of the ceremony. Then Daniil Yanevsky invited to the scene the hero of the occasion, prize-winner of 2011 “Svet Spravedlivosti” Mustafa Jemilev, the first prize-winner of 2010 Ukrainian literary man, dissident Eugene Sverstuk, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, father Boris Gudzyak and Vice-Rector of UCU Miroslav Marinovich. After that the audience was presented a film about the father of Anastasiya Shkilnik the founder of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize Mikhail Shkilnik – the outstanding lawyer, public and political figure of liberation movement in Ukraine in 1917-1920 who carried through all his life love to his native land and ached for its destiny.

After the film the Rector of UCU, father Boris Gudzyak invited Doctor Anastasiya Shkilnik to the scene who underscored: “My father became for me the symbol of serving to his people and his state. All his life he lived for the sake of Ukraine and his people. When I founded this award commemorating my father I wanted that it was awarded to people who devote all their life to their people and their native land”.

Safinar Jemileva presented Anastasiya Shkilnik the Crimean Tatar national souvenir hand made by Crimean Tatar handicraftsmen as a sign of honor from Crimean Tatars and memory of such significant event.

Then the ceremony proceeded with speeches of Eugene Sverstuk, Miroslav Marinovich, Refat Chubarov and Zevdzhet Kurtumerov.

“Mustafa-Efendi through his sacrifice and sufferings, through his heroism and self-sacrifice enters the category of the recognized heroes of his people,- Miroslav Marinovich noted in his speech. Despite few attempts of M.Jemilev to give up his position of the Chairman of Mejlis the members of Mejlis ask him to return. I must admit that I understand them well. Mustafa-Efendi belongs to the bright representatives of non-violent movement of the world. It is a manifestation of wisdom of the Crimean Tatar people to have such leader and a guarantee of success on the way to justice. I personally would give my vote for him on the elections of the President of Ukraine”.

Miroslav Marinovich also reminded the participants of the ceremony that in 2011 a range of famous scientists, parliamentarians and public figures in various countries nominated Mustafa Jemilev to the Nobel Peace Prize two of which – MP of Canada Boris Vzhesnevsky and Rector of UCU Boris Gudzyak are present today at this ceremony.

“Crimean Tatars are faithful and consistent allies of Ukrainians in their struggle for their freedom,”- Refat Chubarov said at the ceremony. – Crimean Tatar people longing for implementation of their integral rights on its territory, understands that it is possible only in free and democratic Ukraine. Consequently, we must be together and help each other.

Addressing the founder of the Prize Anastasiya Shkilnik with the words of gratitude Refat Chubarov noted that the very title of the Prize “Svet Spravedlivosti” makes us all to follow the bright way for the sake of justice and truth ensuring the rights and freedoms of both Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar people.

An active participant of the Crimean Tatar national movement, member of Mejlis Zevdzhet Kurtumerov expressed the confidence in his speech that Mstafa Jemilev could be regarded as a follower of an idea of the struggle for justice of such people as Makhatma Gandi, Martin Luter Qing, Andrei Sakharov, Petro Grigorenko. “The main feature that unites all the mentioned above people is a principle of non-violence, they kept to for the sake of justice, – Zevdzhet Kurtumerov continued. It is also significant that the “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize found its second winner in the face of the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev who more than 30 years shows and keeps on carrying with dignity his spiritual, moral and ethic leadership among his people”.

In conclusion of sincere speeches the host of the ceremony Daniil Yanevsky proposed to watch the film about Mustafa Jemilev’s life, provided by the creative union of Crimean Tatar editorial board “Qrim”, after that the participants of the ceremony stood to greet the culmination of the solemn evening – awarding Mustafa Jemilev “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize for spiritual, moral and ethic leadership.

The Rector of UCU, father Boris Gudzyak awarded Mustafa Jemilev the prize that represented itself a crystal sculpture of a man stretching to the light, symbolizing a man’s longing to the higher ideals of freedom and justice.

In the framework of the established tradition of the awarding ceremony Mustafa Jemilev, the prize-winner of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize came up with the speech.

““Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize obliges to much,”- Mustafa Jemilev said. – I accept it on behalf of the whole Crimean Tatar people and its national movement that I have the honor to head for few decades”. The leader of Mejlis specially emphasized that the main merit of the Crimean Tatar movement is that fighting against the severest Soviet regime and facing today the glaring pro-Russian chauvinism Crimean Tatars didn’t let bloodshed and keep on demonstrating the honor to the rights and freedoms of other people regardless their nationality and religion during their struggle for their rights.

Awarding the prize to the representative of the Crimean Tatar people is very important event in conditions of complicated internal and external political development of Ukraine and obliges all us to activate our actions aimed at strengthening of democracy in Ukraine and its entering the united family of freedom-liking peoples of the European community.

Mustafa Jemilev expressed his special gratitude to Lvov community for their sincere and kind wishes and support of aspirations of the Crimean Tatar people proved by awarding of such high prize to the leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

Mustafa Jemilev’s team-mate, the former political prisoner of the Soviet camps, friend of Crimean Tatars Alexander Podrabinek also addressed the prize-winner with the words of greetings and underscored that many human rights advocacy movements in the world should take example of the Crimean Tatar people and its consistent principle of non-violence in restoration of the historical justice and rights.

Mayor of Lvov Andrei Sadovoy underscored that he was full of pride that he was present at the ceremonial evening along with the legends of the Soviet human rights advocacy movements, such as Mustafa Jemilev, Miroslav Marinovich, Eugene Sverstuk. “It’s a great honor for me to be with you today and receive you in our city,” – said the Mayor of Lvov addressing Mustafa Jemilev.

The leader of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev presented Eugene Sverstuk, Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University, father Boris Gudzyak and Vice-Rector of UCU Miroslav Marinovich Crimean Tatar national flag and man’s national hats – qalpaq as a sign of friendship and honor of the organizers of the ceremony.

One should also note that in the framework of the solemn ceremony of awarding Mustafa Jemilev “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize on the initiative of the founder of “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize Anastasiya Shkilnik there was awarding of the five-year-student of the Ukrainian Catholic University Svyatoslav Turkanik with a special scholarship for an active civil position and consistency in spreading high moral and spiritual principles.
At the end of the solemn ceremony of awarding “Svet Spravedlivosti” Prize there was a bright and colorful Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar concert program performed by the artists of the Crimean Tatar academic musical – drama theatre, chorus of the Ukrainian Catholic University and popular Ukrainian group “Pikardiyska Thertsiya”.