The leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemiliev, celebrates his 80th birthday

13 November 2023

Today, November 13, is the 80th birthday of a world-renowned human rights defender, long-term political prisoner of Soviet camps, state and political figure of the independent Ukrainian state, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the III-IX convocations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people in 1991-2013, leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemiliev.

Born on November 13, 1943 in the village of Ai-Serez, Mustafa DZHEMILIEV found himself in a foreign country at the age of six months as a result of the forced deportation of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people from Crimea, carried out by the communist regime of the USSR on May 18, 1944.

In his youth, Mustafa Dzhemiliev joined the ranks of the Crimean Tatar national movement, whose members fought for the right of the people to return to their homeland – Crimea.

In 1969, Mustafa Dzhemiliev was one of the founders of the “Initiative Group for the Protection of Human Rights in the USSR”, which became the first independent civil organization in the USSR. Subsequently, 11 of its 15 members were arrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

For his selfless and uncompromising struggle against the communist regime of the USSR for the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, other enslaved peoples and human rights, Mustafa Dzhemiliev was repeatedly arrested and prosecuted. For his participation in the Crimean Tatar national movement and the human rights movement in the USSR, Mustafa Dzhemiliev was sentenced to a total of 14 years of imprisonment and 4 years of exile.

The personal courage and self-sacrifice shown by Mustafa Dzhemilev in defending justice, protecting the rights of peoples and human rights contributed to the consolidation of the struggle of the Crimean Tatar people based on the principle of non-violence and their return from the places of exile to their homeland – Crimea.

In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which began with the invasion of Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea in February 2014, the contribution of Mustafa Dzhemiliev to the consolidation of the international community in supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and providing it with comprehensive assistance to repel Russian aggression is enormous.

Mustafa Dzhemiliev is the unconditional leader of the Crimean Tatar people, a politician and a person widely known and authoritative in Ukraine and in world politics.

Despite the fact that the 80th anniversary of Mustafa Dzhemilev is being celebrated in the conditions of harsh and ruthless realities of Russian aggression against Ukraine, when Crimea, parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions are occupied, many fellow citizens, Ukrainian and world politicians, representatives of the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian diaspora, courageous Ukrainian soldiers, will try to personally congratulate Mustafa Dzhemiliev. And we know that due to his openness and boundless trust and love for people, Mustafa Agha will try to answer each of them personally.

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, to its greetings to Mustafa Ağa on his 80th birthday, also adds greetings from hundreds of thousands of compatriots who live in Crimea occupied by Russian troops and will not be able to personally congratulate the leader of the Crimean Tatar people.

The very wish that unites the legendary jubilee Mustafa Ağa, all Crimean Tatars and all citizens of Ukraine is the liberation of Crimea from the Russian occupiers as soon as possible.

There is no doubt that thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other formations of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, as well as all those who remain steadfast under the conditions of Russian occupation, the time of the liberation of Crimea is inexorably approaching.

Happy anniversary, Mustafa Ağa!

May the Almighty grant that you celebrate your next anniversaries together with all the people in the Crimea liberated from the Russian invaders!

Refat Chubarov

Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people

Members of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people

Kyiv, November 13, 2023.