Mustafa Jemilev’s courage shown at Omsk court case 35 years ago evoked admiration and solidarity of the whole civilized world

26 April 2011

The tragic history of the national movement of the Crimean Tatar people in the Soviet period is famous for its mass repressions against its activists. Many frame-up court cases, fabricated by the communist regime against the best sons and daughters of our people testified to this fact. They were young and full of energy and strength. They sacrificed themselves without hesitation only for the sake of one single goal – the return of Crimean Tatars to their historic native land – Crimea.

On April 14, 2011 there was the 35th anniversary of the famous court case held in Omsk in 1976 against the famous Soviet human rights advocate and dissident, fighter for the rights of his people, today the Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of Ukraine, Mustafa Jemilev.
In a moment an ordinary Siberian town gained the world’s fame and became an arena of severe confrontation between good forces, represented by the democratic ideas and evil forces in the face of misanthropic ideology of CPSU of the Soviet empire.

The frame-up court case in Omsk against the prisoner Mustafa Jemilev resulted in just another false and accusatory farce. The fair statements about the illegal situation of the Crimean Tatar people in the USSR were proclaimed by the court of the communist regime as “deliberately false evidence that discredit the social order of the USSR and its political system” and they in fear again sentenced Mustafa Jemilev to two and a half years of prison.
Today’s youth must remember what price the Crimean Tatar youth of the 20th century paid, striving to return their people from exile to Crimea, fighting for the restoration of their rights.

On April 14, 2011 on the initiative of the veterans of the Crimean Tatar national movement, relatives, friends and team-mates of Mustafa Jemilev visited the office of Mejlis where they had a warm meeting, timed to the 35th anniversary of Omsk court case.

Among the guests that visited Mustafa Jemilev that day were: his brother Asan Jemilev, sister Vasfiye Khairova, that along with their mother Makhfure khanym and brother Anafi Jemilev on April 14 and 15, 1976 were present at the court case in Omsk. The Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people was also visited by his old and young companions on national movement, such as: veterans Zampira Asanova, Vedzhiye Kashka, Ayder Zeytullaev, Ediye Jemileva, Ali Aliyev, Arsen Alchikov, Rolan Islyamov, Mambet Useinov, Izen Izedinov, Sinaver Kadyrov, Zevdzhet Kurtumerov, first deputy Chairman of Mejlis Refat Chubarov, member of Mejlis Ali Khamzin, acting head of Revision commission of Qurultay of the 5th convocation Kurtseyit Abdullaev, honorable consul of the Republic of Turkey in Simferopol Seyran Osmanov and many others.

M.Jemilev’s sister Vasfiye Khalilova shared her memories without hiding her tears with the participants of the meeting. She mentioned that administration of the prison used to say with unconcealed malice: “he as small, but he has a lion’s heart”, characterizing her weakened imprisoned brother when he went into 303 day hunger strike. “Many years of fighting of my brother for the rights and freedoms of his people proved these words”, underscored Vasfiye khanym. Asan aga Jemilev also told about the interesting moments from the court case against his younger brother. He told about arrival of human rights advocate, academician Sakharov with his wife Helen Boner at Omsk court case.

“Today’s youth must remember the feats of the elder generation, made in order to return our people to its native land and restore its national rights”, underscored the first deputy Chairman of Crimean Tatar Mejlis, President of Crimean Tatar World Congress Refat Chubarov.

Veteran of Crimean Tatar national movement, member of Crimean Tatar Mejlis Zevdzhet Kurtumerov informed that the memorable events, timed to the 35th anniversary of Omsk court case against M.Jemilev to be continued. In particular, for the next few weeks, on Monday “ATR” TV channel and Crimean Tatar editorial board of the State TV-Radio Company will broadcast the stories of the eyewitnesses of the court case, M.Jemilev’s companions and veterans of the national movement. More over, on April 15, 2011 the introductory events will be held for pupils of the Crimean Tatar school in Sovetsky settlement with participation of the members of Mejlis, regional mejlises of Sovietsky region and veterans of the national movement, and on April 29 the memorable evening will be held in the Crimean Tatar teatre, timed to the 35th anniversary of Omsk court case that will end the ceremonial events.

Mustafa Jemilev, recalling his numerous court cases, highly appreciated the civil exploit and fearless struggle of hundreds of our nationals for returning of our people to Crimea, who were sentenced to various terms of Soviet prisons and camps. “Our way home wasn’t an easy one. The whole our people and national movement fought for the return. The Crimean Tatar people finally won this battle”, – underscored the Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.
Reference: Omsk court case of 1976 was one of the most resonant court cases against the human right advocate in the USSR. The court case one again showed severe realias of totalitarian regime. Today one could definitely say that an unprecedented hunger strike before the beginning of the court case didn’t brake 33-year-old Mustafa Jemilev. At that time the famous human rights advocates and dissidents, such as Peter Grigorenko, Andrei Sakharov, Russian writers Lev Kopelev, Lidiya Chukovskaya, Alexander Galich, the famous German writers Heinrich Bell and Carl Amery spoke in support of the fighter for the Crimean Tatar people, demanding to free Mustafa Jemilev. A broad company started abroad to safe his life, publications and radio broadcasts about him and the situation with Crimean Tatars in the USSR didn’t stop.

Authorities didn’t even think that the court case and the events related to the hunger strike and Omsk court case could become a strong factor that could draw an international response to Crimean Tatar national issue. Many foreign radio stations such as BBC, radio of Germany, etc. made reports, telling that today is the 50th, 60th day of M.Jemilev’s hunger strike and naturally, they informed about the reasons of this hunger strike, about unwillingness of the Soviet authorities to solve Crimean Tatar issue, about deportation and their demands.

Omsk court case also had an important national meaning. It became a symbol of high spirit, firm confidence in the rightness of our ideas and actions. This court case became an example of how an individual not only can show an adequate resistance, but make an attack against seemingly unapproachable walls of hypocritical ideological positions at the cost of one’s health and threat to one’s life.

Press service of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People