Human rights activists call on world to demand immediate release of Dzhepparov

This was reported by the Crimean Human Rights Group, Ukrinform reports.

"The Ukrainian human rights community considers the detention of Abdureshit Dzhepparov as part of a systematic and widespread persecution of Crimean human rights defenders and activists, which has been going on since the beginning of the Russian occupation of the Crimean peninsula. Crimean Tatars, who make up about 13% of the population of Crimea, disproportionately suffer from repression by the Russian occupation administration," the statement reads.

Human rights activists note that Dzhepparov devoted almost his entire life to protecting the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, in particular, he fought for the return of the indigenous people to their homeland after Stalin's deportation in 1944.

"Since the beginning of the Russian occupation of Crimea, Dzhepparov has been actively helping victims of political repression. At the end of 2014, he became the coordinator of the Crimean Contact Group for Human Rights, which tried to facilitate the search for victims of enforced disappearances on the occupied peninsula. Dzhepparov's human rights activities were highly appreciated at the international level. In particular, in 2020, the human rights activist was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize," the human rights community draws attention to.

It is noted that for his human rights activities, Abdureshit Dzhepparov and his family are subjected to persecution and trials, the scale of which is difficult to imagine in the civilized world.

"On September 27, 2014, unknown persons in black uniforms abducted his son Islyam Dzhepparov and nephew Dzhevdet Islyamov, whose fate and whereabouts are still unknown. There is every reason to believe that the abduction of Abdureshit Dzhepparov's relatives was organized by the Russian Federal Security Service. Dzhepparov was repeatedly detained while crossing the administrative border between the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Kherson region, and was handed a warning "about the inadmissibility of breaking the law". In addition, in March 2022, Abdureshit Dzhepparov was searched, after which he was placed under administrative arrest for allegedly demonstrating Nazi symbols through a publication allegedly posted on his social media page in 2019," the statement said.

The human rights community calls on foreign governments and international organizations, including members of the International Crimean Platform, to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dzhepparov; to provide comprehensive assistance to victims of political repression by the Russian occupiers in Crimea and other occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as their families; to increase diplomatic, sanctions and other pressure on the Russian Federation to prevent new atrocities in the occupied Crimea and mainland Ukraine, and to release all illegally detained citizens.

As reported, on April 25, Russian security forces detained Dzhepparov after a search in his home in Bilohirsk.