6 Years of Occupation: Demographic Changes and Violations of Freedom of Religion and Self-Determination
March 11, 2020 10:45
Six years of occupation have resulted in normal living conditions for only those in Crimea who are loyal to Russia. Crimean Tatars living in their homeland, religious organizations outside of Russian control, and human rights defenders unmask the utopian picture of happy life on the peninsula so painstakingly painted by Russian propaganda. On February 24, 2020, the team at CrimeaSOS released its second publication of “Encyclopedia of Repressions in Crimea Since the Beginning of the Russian Occupation,” which documents the litany of blatant human rights violations that have occurred. Our reporting documents how the Russian occupiers have violated Crimeans’ right to self-determination and freedom of religion as well as deliberately changed the demographics of the region in the six years since the occupation began.