Verkhovna Rada asks international community to recognize deportation of Crimean Tatars as genocide

11.05.2016 12:19

Ukrinform

Ukrainian lawmakers have approved an appeal to the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, world leaders and all members of the international community with a request to commemorate the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people and to condemn violation of the rights and freedoms of the Crimean Tatar people by the Russian Federation.

A total of 240 MPs voted for the appeal, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As noted in the wording of the appeal, parliamentarians called on the international community to recognize deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 as genocide of the Crimean Tatar people and to commemorate the innocent victims of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, committed by the communist totalitarian regime, and the victims of illegal actions by Russian occupying authorities on May 18, the Day of Remembrance of Victims of the Genocide of Crimean Tatar People.

The Verkhovna Rada also called on the international community to assist in bringing to account all those responsible for the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea and systemic and widespread human rights abuses in this temporarily occupied territory.