Zair Smedlyaev: I Don’t Deny My Words that I Said on National Flag Day

01 July 2013

On July 1, 2013, the Head of the Secretariat at the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People Mr Zair Smedlyaev was called to the Main Board of the Security Service of Ukraine in Crimea. The reason was his words said on the celebration of the Crimean Tatar National Flag Day that the Crimean Tatar flag is a symbol of statehood.

Telling about the reasons of his calling to SBU Mr Smedlyaev said: “It is more likely connected to my comments on the National Flag Day when I said that the officials that have no national self-consciousness will do everything in order not to celebrate it. It also concerns the financial matters” and I underscored once more that “a flag is a symbol of statehood. It is clear that those who do not want our statehood won’t finance such events”.

Mr Zair Smedlyaev noted that if his words were regarded as a kind of sedition – he is ready to discuss his point of view.

“I think that it is connected to my political activity. I often criticize on the present authorities, the Prime Minister of Crimea, some officials among the Crimean Tatars whose activity is aimed at splitting people. Of course, somebody doesn’t like it. Evidently, there is a political order,”- the Head of the Secretariat at Mejlis said. He underscored that “I don’t deny my words” when he was asked will he deny his words.

After the questioning in SBU that lasted around an hour Mr Smedlyaev gave a brief comment: “As I’ve guessed the reason were my expressions concerning our state and national flag. I was informed bout the articles of the Criminal Code – calling to violent change of the state regime or seizure of power.

“I asked to specify which of my comments contain the calling to violence, but I didn’t hear any arguments concerning any calling to the violent change or overturn of the constitutional regime or seizure of power,”- Mr Smedlyaev said. He repeated that the Crimean Tatar national movement always adhered to the principles of non-violence and sought returning to their Homeland – Crimea in a non-violent way. The same way we achieve our statehood.”

According to Mr Zair Smedlyaev the SBU officials made him the written notice about the inadmissibility of any actions aimed at the violent change or overturn of the constitutional regime or seizure of power and about the criminal responsibility for such actions.