Ukraine blasts arrests of Crimean Tatars by Russian forces

By Talha Yavuz

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - A recent series of arrests of Crimean Tatars by Russian authorities constitutes "another wave of repressions in the temporarily-occupied Crimea," a senior Ukrainian official said on Saturday.

Citing human rights organization, Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said "occupation authorities" had conducted searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars, abducting 5 people.

One of those abducted, Nariman Dzhelyal, is a Ukrainian Crimean Tatar politician, journalist, teacher, political scientist, "deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, banned by Russia in 2016," Dzhaparova noted.

Earlier on Saturday, President of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly Refat Chubarov confirmed Dzhelyal's arrest on social media.

Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, with President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.

Turkey and the US, as well as the UN General Assembly, view the annexation as illegal.