Statement of Human Rights Advocates Concerning Situation in Simferopol, Related ещ Actions of Stalinists, December 21, 2012

26 December 2012

We, the participants of Crimean Forum – the meeting of the political prisoners of the Communist regime and Human Rights advocates address the authorities of Ukraine and Crimea, and all not indifferent people in connection with the beginning of the pre-court investigation of the destruction of the provocative photo-exhibition, glorifying Stalin, held in Simferopol.

The photo-exhibition was organized by Russian organization of neo-Stalinist Sergei Kurginyan “Essence of Time – Crimea”. The organizers of this exhibition presented Stalin as “the most significant leader of the state in the history of Russian civilization”. The exhibition raised indignation of Crimean Tatars who destroyed the street exhibition, glorifying the dictator, guilty in the crimes against the humankind.

We would remind you that Crimean Tatars were among other peoples of the USSR that were deported from their homeland in 1944 and that resulted in mass extermination of the nation, mainly old men, women and children.

We call all forces of Ukrainian society to promote the protection of the Human Rights and freedoms of all its citizens, in particular, Crimean Tatars from any infringement of their national respect and dignity, from the humiliation of the Ukrainian state by glorifying Stalin and Bolshevik murderers.