On the occasion of the anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars under Stalin (May 18, 1944), the Society for Threatened Peoples would like to draw attention to the systematic persecution of the Indigenous population of Crimea under Russian occupation.

“The situation of the Crimean Tatars is worrying: They are wondering how they can survive as a people, despite the massive persecution. Because of flight and displacement, they are scattered all over the world – which jeopardizes the survival of the Crimean Tatar culture, language, and community,” stated Sarah Reinke, head of human rights work at the STP. Since 2014, tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars have already left Crimea for fear of persecution and conscription into the Russian army. Many Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian cultural assets in Crimea were destroyed, and the demographics on the peninsula were changed to the detriment of the Crimean Tatars and the Ukrainians.  

Today, the Crimean Tatars make up no more than 12 percent of the population of Crimea. At the same time, 133 of a total of 223 political prisoners on the peninsula are members of the Indigenous population. Many of the political prisoners have been sentenced to extremely long prison sentences of more than 10 years – and some of them have been transferred to prisons thousands of kilometers away from their homeland.

“Crimea has become a bargaining chip in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and those who are directly affected do not have adequate say. The peninsula is the only traditional settlement area of the Crimean Tatars. Under Stalin, they were collectively deported from Crimea, and their cultural assets, libraries, mosques, and cemeteries were destroyed. Now, many Crimean Tatars fear that their homeland is lost to them once again,” Reinke said.

On May 18, 1944, around 200,000 Crimean Tatars were deported from Crimea on Stalin’s orders. The majority of them were women, elderly people, and children – because the men were fighting on the side of the Red Army against Nazi Germany. Approximately 46 percent of the deportees died during the deportation in cattle cars or shortly after arriving in Central Asia. “In Ukraine, in exile in Germany, and in other European countries, the Crimean Tatars will commemorate the genocide on May 18. When it comes to the future of Crimea, their voices must be heard,” Reinke emphasized.

There will be a vigil in Berlin on May 17, to remember the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 and to commemorate the victims. The genocide claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars and forced an entire people into exile. From 6.30 pm, the Crimean Tatar community and people in solidarity will meet in front of Unter den Linden subway station and walk to the Brandenburg Gate together, where the silent memorial event “Zünde eine Kerze an” (Light a candle) will take place. The event is organized by the cultural association “KERMEN”.