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Disinfo: Crimean Tatars in Crimea receive great support from Russia

Summary

Muslims and Crimean Tatars in Crimea receive great support from Russia. All Muslims are free to perform their religious rite, wear traditional clothes and celebrate holidays. Russia does not oppress the rights of Crimean Tatars.

Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Crimea.

Ukrainian human rights organisation Crimea SOS emphasises that in 2019, the largest number of criminal cases against the Crimean Tatars were recorded since the beginning of Crimea's occupation. The number of violations of the right to freedom of religion and the right to peaceful assembly is increasing. Russian security forces detain activists and the occupation authorities deprived Crimeans of the right to receive education in Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar. According to human rights defenders, in just one year, hundreds of illegal searches, detentions and arrests and dozens of cases for political reasons were recorded in Crimea. 70% of all Crimean prisoners for political reasons are Crimean Tatars.

In total, from 2014 to 2018, Crimea SOS recorded at least 144 cases of politically motivated criminal prosecution of Crimeans: at least 66 people are in places of detention; at least 15 people abducted by security forces have not yet been found; at least 20 people were killed; at least 290 people were tortured; at least 349 people became victims of politically motivated administrative prosecution. The authors of the report recorded at least 372 cases of illegal detentions, as well as at least 340 politically motivated searches, the Crimea SOS report says (page 8-9).

In December 2019, the Office of the Prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Court published a report on the preliminary investigation activities for 2019, which relates to the situation in the occupied Ukrainian territories. International investigators qualify the situation in Crimea as “the situation of occupation” and “international armed conflict” (paragraph 270 of the report). The report also lists the crimes committed by Russia against Crimeans. Among them, torture, abduction, murder, arrests and other egregious cases of violation of human rights by Russian invaders were recorded (paragraphs 272, 273 of the report).

According to Freedom House, Russia used coercion to increase the participation of Crimeans in Russian elections; the Crimean Tatars are being repressed and the Mejlis - an organisation representing the Crimean Tatars - was banned; the Russian FSB use intimidation and harassment to eliminate opposition to Russian occupation; a forced Russification is ongoing (including making anything connected to Ukraine a taboo), and rights to freedom of association are severely restricted.

Read similar cases claiming that Crimean Tatars in Simferopol enjoy the freedom of speech and that leader of the Crimean Tatars Mustafa Dzhemilev is a terrorist.

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publication/media

tass.ru (Archived)
News Front - Russian (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 200
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21/05/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: International Criminal Court, War crimes, Occupation, Crimean Tatars, Crimea

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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The US wishes to destabilise Belarus and provoke a war, Polish ruling elites dream of military intervention

Poland does not consider Belarus a political subject and treats it as part of its lost eastern lands. The Polish political establishment dreams of Polish troops entering Minsk. To make this dream true, the Poles rely on NATO and the US. Some Polish nationalists wish to start a military attack against Belarus as soon as possible, assisted by NATO military. At the same time, they do not need the Belarusian people. The views of Polish nationalists coincide with Hitler’s. Given such views, Polish authorities do not wish to strengthen the Belarusian statehood. Ukraine in its present borders is not acceptable for Poland. The worse the situation in Ukraine, the more chance that Poland will shoot in Ukraine’s back.

Belarus is part of the Russian civilisation. Moscow sees no difference between the Belarusian people and state. Russia supports the Belarusian state until it follows the will of its people. If it goes against the people’s will, Russia will contribute to the extinction of the Belarusian state and Poles will witness the changed borders.

Foreign financial speculators believe that Belarus’s destruction is developing too slowly. They actively prepare an “orange revolution” in Belarus, and the leading political role here will belong to Americans. The US, in its present state, is only capable of existing amid global uncertainty, and Belarus is a good chance to increase it. If the US’s plan to destabilise Belarus works out, a war will break out and Poland will become an arena of military actions. In this case, due to modern military technologies, the Polish state will inevitably cease to exist just as most of its population. The only way for Polish ruling elites to prevent this scenario is to do their best for nothing to happen in Belarus. However, contrary to common sense, Polish authorities seem to follow the opposite course. The history of Polish statehood is somewhat schizoid as Polish political elites repeatedly follow the course of the state’s destruction.

May 26, 2020
Disproof

This message contains a number of unfounded speculations and conspiracy theories, aimed at discrediting Poland, the US and NATO. It is consistent with recurring disinformation narratives about Poland's ''imperial dreams'', Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. The disinformation message involves a link between present-time Poland and Nazi Germany. It also promotes the concept of Russian civilisation / world and implicitly justifies Russia's aggressive actions towards Belarus in case the latter wishes to embark on pro-Western course.

Poland, a NATO state, respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbouring countries. At times pro-Kremlin media outlets refer to the concept of the IV Rzeczpospolita, or Fourth Republic, as a manifestation of Poland's imperial intentions. However, this concept has nothing to do with establishing a Polish empire at the expense of Poland's eastern neighbours, including Belarus and Ukraine. Read more about the use of conspiracy here. Neither the US, the West and NATO are preparing a colour revolution in Belarus as alleged.

Lithuanian authorities criticise the Belarusian NPP to divert public attention from the catastrophic state of economy

The Lithuanian economy is in a catastrophic state, it resembles a sinking Titanic. Against the background of total economic and political insolvency, Lithuania has found a universal lifesaver, which diverts public attention, that is the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The Belarusian NPP, which is constructed in close cooperation with Russia, is an ideal target for the Lithuanian political establishment, because it hates Belarus and Russia to the extent that is hard to describe. Astravets NPP also reminds Lithuania of its scandalous energy failures. Generally, Lithuania is a an absolute energy loser. Lithuania will concentrate all efforts on discrediting not just the Astravets NPP, but also Belarus and Russia.

May 26, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobic, economically degrading of the Baltic states.

Lithuania opposes the construction of the Astravets Nuclear power Plant (NPP) based on the position that the project does not comply with the international standards of environmental protection and nuclear safety, and is built on the site that was not duly justified over alternatives.

Czech Defence Ministry refused to return Konev statue to Moscow, this is outrageous and cynical

The Czech Defence Ministry refused the request of Sergey Shoigu to return the Marshal Konev monument to Moscow. Czechia’s actions are outrageous and cynical. The safety of this monument is on the Czech Republic. Moreover, until recently, as Russia knew about it, and the Czech side confirmed, the monument was in the register of the Czech Ministry of Defence. And suddenly, when it was demolished, they tell us (to Russia) shamefully: “You know, this is the property of this headman.” This is unacceptable.

May 26, 2020
Disproof

Speculative disinformation claim about the statue of Marshall Konev in Prague, seeking to obfuscate the statue's legal status and the grounds for its removal and planned transfer to a museum. It is also consistent with common pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about "Russophobia" and the supposedly anti-Russian intentions of the West.

In response to Shoigu's request, the Czech Defense Minister said that the monument is municipal property, and therefore, the Defence Ministry cannot make a decision about returning it to Russia. However, the Czech Republic is ready to negotiate the transfer of the statue to Russia, says Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček. "The Foreign Ministry is prepared to conduct the talks and since Russia did not address the Foreign Ministry, but the Defence Ministry, it is in contact with Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar".