Sam Greene
Good morning from Washington, DC, good afternoon, and good evening to those of you who are joining us from Ukraine and around the world. My name is Sam Green. I’m Director of the Democratic Resilience Program here at CEPA the Center for European Policy Analysis. On the 18th of May 1944, exactly 79 years ago to the day the Soviet regime began the deportation of some 200,000 Crimean Tatars to Central Asia and other remote parts of the USSR as part of a concerted and targeted campaign of ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide. This was only the latest in a series of attacks on the community perpetrated first by the Romanov Russian Empire, and then by the Soviet Union, including anti Tatara pogroms in the earliest years of Bolshevik rule. Today, that criminal tradition continues and reminds us that Ukrainians of all ethnicities, cultures and faiths are targeted by Russia’s illegal and brutal war against Ukraine. Some 120, Crimean Tatars are currently in Russian custody as internationally recognized political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. By far the majority of non combatant Ukrainian citizens held by Russia today and some have tragically already lost their lives under Russian custody. CEPA is honored to work with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, both to commemorate this sad anniversary and to draw attention to the ongoing struggle of all Ukrainians for freedom, sovereignty, and basic human dignity. We are particularly honored to welcome today representatives from the Crimean Tatar community joining us at a difficult time and in difficult circumstances and our Ukrainian democracy fellow here at CEPA Elina Beketov to moderate this conversation to start, however, it is my distinct honor to welcome to CEPA Her Excellency Ambassador Oksana Markarova.

Oksana Markarova
Thank you very much, Sam and it’s such an honor to be here with all of you on this very special day for us 79th day since the tragic events since the day with that we now remember as the day for the victims of the Crimean Tatar people genocide. We have raised this morning the Crimean Tatar flag over the Embassy of Ukraine as we do every year. Because this year as all the years after 2014, it has a special meaning for us. Of course, you know, we remember the 200,000 people, many of them, almost half of them who died after they have been deported from Crimea by the Soviet regime. But then in 2014 70 years after that horrible crime, the Russian regime, the Russian Federation regime, just continue doing exactly the same by illegally and accent occupying Crimea, and start and systemic prosecution of Crimean Tatars in our Ukrainian Crimea, that is now for many years an illegal occupation. We have seen everything that of course, we see now everywhere in Ukraine, but we have seen all of that in Crimea since 2014. We have seen prosecution of the Crimean leaders, we have seen an elation and shutting down of the independent media we have seen discrimination on the basis of religion. We have seen the violation of the language rights, basic human rights, you know, all over Crimean peninsula. The Kremlin illegally detained so many Crimean Tatars, more than 118 that we know of specifically targeting the activists and journalists, Russia have carried out also unprecedented militarization of Crimea. We all remember our Crimea, as you know, a pearl as we always said, in Ukraine, why people love to go during summers, and now it’s a military base where the Russians specifically putting only military assets and resources and, you know, terrorizing everyone in Crimea, but also everyone elsewhere from Crimea in the last 449 days, we have spoken about Crimea but also about who Ukraine because 449 days ago, Russia re invaded Ukraine and started full fledged war. And we have seen everywhere in Ukraine again, what we have seen in Crimea, specifically targeting the cultural or just specifically targeting our Ukrainian culture and Crimean Tatars culture is an inseparable part of that. So more than 1,464 sites of cultural heritage has been attacked and cultural infrastructure by Russia, more than 60 museums were destroyed or completely looted. The losses in the field of culture caused by this brutal, unprovoked unjustified war of Russia against Ukraine has already reached almost 7 billion US dollars. But then some of these losses do not have the value that we can attach to them. They’re invaluable to us. The Kremlin continues to destroy Ukraine and Crimean Tatars cultural landmarks, I mean, we can count many of the museum’s many of the all of the all of the very important places are very important cultural heritage objects for us. We see in the news, how regularly Russians are excavating, again, a lot of treasures in Crimea and transfer them to, to Russia, we have seen how building or so called the debris, the highway or all the, you know, infrastructure objects that Russia is building, specifically done to destroy a number of burials or other landmarks, which are very important for Crimean Tatars, and very important for us again, we have seen the Bagçesaray Palace, which we all, you know, remember go into I mean, I personally have very fond memories of when went through the palace, but the so called reconstruction that Russia has decided to have is nothing but the destruction of a very important place in Crimea and not to mention they’re trying whatever they are stealing from Crimea, they’re trying even to put it on the international exhibitions. That’s why it’s so important for us not to allow that to happen. That’s why this events like this one organized by CEPA, and by the way, thank you so much for CEPA for not only putting this event together, but also working with the embassy working with Ukraine, so closely on so many of these issues. It’s very important to inform the global community, why we should ban Russia from from participating in any of these exchanges, why we should not tolerate or legitimize their presence in Crimea, or their presence anywhere with the Crimean objects on hands. So we have no choice than to win this war. And winning this war today is very important for the commemoration of the horrible tragedy that happened on this day 79 years ago. Because the the evil that is not punished always comes back. And the evil that was not punished for this horrible crime against Crimean Tatar people came back in 2014, and came back in 2022. We’re very thankful to all of our international partners and of course, as an Ambassador to the US, I’m specifically you know, glad that not only you US is helping and standing shoulder to shoulder with us in this face of the war and helping us on so many fronts, but also that you US has been standing with us in adopting the Crimean Declaration in 2018, which was very important and that declaration by the US reaffirmed the policy of refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims to Crimea, which are the claims to their sovereignty, which is our sovereignt. This is our territorial integrity. This is the home for Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars not for Russian Federation and its regime and very much looking forward to this discussion and I’m glad to see so many friends here and people who really have a lot to share, Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz, Alim Aliev, Kateryna Busol, Maria Tomak, and of course, Elina Beketova,, our excellent moderator of today’s discussion, and I just want to close by my opening speech was the words of very famous Crimean Tatar poet Ablyaziz Vyeliyev who, who, talking about the Stalin and Putin’s regime put together words which I wouldn’t be able to say of course, better so I will read him, “Oh how many of them had courageously fought for their freedom! And fell dead for that sacred, that holy the right! To eternally clear the good name of our people And let everyone know: ‘We’re not dead, we persist, we’re alive!” And I think this is true today about Crimean Tatars and it’s true today about all Ukrainians. And we will together not only strengthen the international coalition, but we will stay firm in Ukraine, and all of us together will clearly show that Ukraine, Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars are alive, that Crimea is and always will be Ukraine. So thank you very much. And together, we will win.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, the ambassador. It’s a great honor for all of us to be together with you today and thank you for your opening remarks. We have a very distinguished and experienced panel today that I will be delighted to introduce just in a moment. First, though, taking an opportunity to thank for such a timely discussion hosted by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the Embassy of Ukraine to the United States. Today we commemorate the victims of the mass deportation of the Crimean Tatars from their indigenous lands on the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine. Over three days May 18-2-, 1944 about 200,000 Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported by the Soviet authorities. During and after the deportation when the Crimean Tatars were forced to live abroad, almost half of them died due to harsh exile conditions. And 70 years later, Russian forces continuing their crimes on the peninsula illegally annexing Crimea and conducting aggressive actions that aim to persecute the indigenous people of Crimea and erase cultural heritage on the peninsula to discuss the mass deportation and its legacy for the Crimean Tatar people I’m delighted to be joined by an incredible lineup of war experts Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz, who is the Head of Crimeaan Institute for Strategic Studies, Alim Aliev, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Institute, Kateryna Busol, Senior Lecturer, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Maria Tomak the head of the Crimea Platform Department Mission of the President of Ukraine in Crimea. I, thank you so much for joining our today’s discussion and I suggest starting with brief remarks on your connection with Crimea, and why the Crimea Tatars have been the target of Russian forces for centuries, some of our experts have their very personal stories connected with Crimea interpretations, I suggest starting with Elimira and then going around the table. Elmira, over to you.

Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz
Thank you very much. It’s an honor and privilege for me to participate in this discussion. And first, I’d like to thank the meeting planners for the invitation and the opportunity. Concerning your question Elina, Crimea for me, I’m Crimean Tartar and Crimea for me is not, is more than just a gorgeous place surrounded by the sea. Crimea for me is the land where our ancestors lived. It is the place from where the war deported by Soviet regime in 1944. For us, Crimea is the land we longed to return to in with our hearts and souls, the place of our rice, our development, the place of our 300 years old statehood. We are tied to this land by spiritual bonds. That is not only about our Motherland, it’s something that’s something sacrum, sacrum for us. Of course, I used to live in Crimea, and I couldn’t imagine my future life without it. I worked in Bakhchysarai historical and cultural preserved the biggest cultural institution in Crimea that included more than 180 monuments of historian culture and when my husband was arrested in 2015 in January my life has changed, because I focused on the attention to survive my husband. And that is why in since 2017, we have to, we have to leave Crimea and now we have lived in Kyiv. That’s my short, short story. And about the policy of Russian Federation toward the Crimean Tatar people. You know, that combination, it was the deportation in 1944 was the culmination of this policy. And the names of this regime will change from Grand Duchy of Moscow down towards the Russian Empire, then it was Soviet Union and finally, the Russian Federation, but its aggressive foreign policy remained intact and aimed at incorporation neighbor slammed into the Empire was exactly the same. And the official Russian policy towards the Crimean and a little bit later Ukrainian lands has gone through several stage during which the peace forms, matters, intensity and effectiveness of this imperial colonial expansion were different, but the progress of this process was constantly maintained. Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Elmira for sharing your story and, you know, definitely Crimea for all of us as a soul and we our soul with Crimea, and you know, Alim the same question goes to you. I know, it’s a very personal story for you too, if you can share it with us.

Alim Aliev
Thank you, Alina. It’s a great pleasure to be with you. Yeah, what’s Crimea, Crimea, this is a Crimea in our blood, and Crime is of course, motherland and why these day is crucial cause because it’s their history, not only our families, but it’s a history of our motherland and all of Crimean Tatar people. The story of the last three generations of my family, typical for Crimean Tatars, it’s one of forced migrations. And the consequences of studying forced deportation, the horrifying almost half of the population died. As a child, I often heard the word Sürgün from my grandma, and its meaning exile, which Crimean Tatar use for the tragic page in our story. Almost every Crimean Tatar family has such story, and I, of course, I remember the story of my grandma, but as a real reason for this deportation. For me, it’s that Crimean Tatrs has a very strong national identity and Soviet regime as out of totalitarian regimes trying to destroy the identity just now, you just kill people and now today we have the very similar of the nature situation. During last nine years, a lot of Crimean Tatar as me, as Elmira, as and other Crimean Tatars, forced migration because of temporary Russian occupation, and the basement of this occupation, it’s in you, canonization. We will talk about it later.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much Alim for sharing your story, and of course, we will talk about very strong national identity and how to preserve it. And my question goes to Maria, because I know that you’ve been researching and focusing on human rights in Crimea particularly and you were witnessing the annexation of Crimea and you went there to help people, if you can share your experience with us too, and why the Crimean Tatar identity, as we are hearing it has been targeted so much and intensively.

Maria Tomak
Yes, thank you so much. Thank you for having me here and for hosting this important event. Indeed, I have a so to say, a citizen connection to Crimea. I am not from Crimea. But I feel like I am connected very much with lots of great people from Crimea, the first of all of Crimean Tatar origin. And indeed, I came there as an activist when the occupation started, and I was documenting, along with other people be the little, little green man, so called right who started the occupation of Crimea, and then the first victims of that occupation. And I can clearly say, therefore, that the war has started in Crimea in 2014 and expect, especially with the occupation of Crimea, and I think that that idea that Madame Ambassador emphasized that actually this genocidal intention started also with Crimea. Of course, these were the seeds of all those massive crimes that we’re witnessing now. But it’s exactly it started here, in particular with the kidnapping and killing of Reshat Ametov, a Crimean Tatar activists who went to the solo protests and was kidnapped and murdered brutally as some of those people that we’ve seen on the streets of Bucha so that there’s no difference basically, between those crimes aside of the scales. And now, I mean, I think that I really love the idea that was expressed recently by great Crimean Tatar, our, our great Crimean Tatar singer Jamal, Jamala. She said that we should avoid the perception of Crimea, only via prism of you know, this vacation place and chebureki and all the stuff. Crimea has this very rich culture, which is related in the first place with Crimean Tatar indigenous people this indigenous culture. And now as a representative of the state of the mission of the President of Ukraine, I feel obliged to ensure the right of the Crimean that our people in when, especially when Crimea will be occupied. I think that’s a great also challenge and the task for the Ukrainian state to start this work now, not only to heal the wounds, but to provide all the possibilities for the Crimean Tatar people to thrive and to develop their identity now, and of course, when Crimea will be dealt?

Elina Beketova
Surely, well, I think that we will agree with it, and thank you for sharing your story. We will go deeply then into your expertise further. But right now, Kateryna, over to you because we know that you’ve been also researching in terms of legal aspects, the questions of the peninsula if you can share your story with us and your connection with Crimea.

Kateryna Busol
Thank you very much, Elina, it’s always such a great pleasure to speak with my dear colleagues. And I’m from Kyiv I visited a Crimea just as a child. But to me, Crimea is about the people and it has been the utmost privilege of not just working with but then guided by the Crimean Tartar people, because they are the first who since the beginning of Russia’s aggression in 2014 did rise the issues of identity, they did say that it’s not just about the appropriation of property. It’s not just about business. It is about memory wars. It is about heritage, and it is about identity. So the whole discussion about why Russia encroaches why Russia wants to really provide its own narrative about Ukraine’s past, present, and future. It started with the Crimean Tatars explanation of the how we should decipher this Russia’s policy. And it’s, indeed just also big tragedy to see how the patterns that we have noted we as the Ukrainians, but also as the world community that we have seen in Crimea, how we have failed to prevent them from extrapolating to the whole of Ukraine. But of course, now is just the time to act and this is what we are doing. We are definitely seeing the patterns and we are acting upon them. Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much. And, you know, I will just share my story as I’m, I’m also from Crimea. Born and raised there and hopefully there will be a moment for all of us when we can come back and to our land. That definitely as Alim says it’s in our blood. You know, that we are coming close to the discussion that the Crimean Tatars as we have heard, had to experience deportation, not once in their lives the first annexation of the Crimean, by the Russian Empire in 1783, then the seizure of the peninsula by the Bolsheviks in 1918, deportation in 1944, after the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, a new wave of political, religious and cultural persecutions began, as we all heard today thousdands of Crimean Tatar and citizens of Crimea, who opposed Russian occupation had to leave their homes again, and move to mainland Ukraine or have become subject to persecution or illegal mobilization. So I would like to turn my question to Maria Tomak, who has been focusing on human rights in Crimea for many years. And now is the Head of Crimea Platform Department at the Mission of the President of Ukraine in Crimea. How has the situation deteriorated after the annexation of Crimea then the full scale Russia’s invasion? What are the main violations of human rights on the peninsula that you are observing right now?

Maria Tomak
Thank you. So, of course, I would like to say, of course, that at the level of the international community, mostly, this issue of the violations of the rights of indigenous, in particular of the Crimean Tatar people after the beginning of the occupation of Crimea was emphasized within the UN G Resolutions, right, and they were adopting, adopted starting from 2015. And, I mean, honestly, it would take like the whole time of the event, if I would like just listing those violations that are there. I think that it’s important to say that they are boiled down practically to, again, to this idea of colonization, that Alim was referred right. So we can see that history repeats itself. And I think it’s really important to put the current situation of the oppression of the identity of Crimeans, at our people, and of Ukrainians into this historical context. And it’s not just you know, the exercise for the people who is dealing with some, you know, journalism or like analytics. I’m really glad. And I think it’s very important that this was emphasized this historical perspective, recently by Dunja Mijatović who is the Commissioner of the Human Rights of the Council of Europe, when she wrote her report about the violation of the rights of the Crimean Tartar indigenous people, she started her report from the 18th century. And I think it’s really, really important, because that’s the moment obviously, when this colonization started, let me just remind that at that point, there were 90% of Crimean Tatar people in Crimea. And now we came to the point when there is 13, at least, before the beginning of the occupation, there was 13%. And it’s like, not bad. Sorry for this wording, comparing to the moment after the deportation of Crimea that are but sorry, go. Going back to your question. I would like to say about some maybe a very significant fact, political persecution. So of course, it’s very obvious. And I would like to bring the figure currently we have the information about 182 political prisoners, Crimea, and once I mean, they are either in Crimea or on the territory of Russian Federation, and 116 of them are Crimean Tatar, or so 60% of them are Crimean Tatar, and all of the so called terrorism cases. So, cases where people are accused of terrorism are against Crimean Tatar. And I think that’s the trend because back in 1944, a Soviet regime was trying to more Crimean Tatar as traitors right as collaborators. Now Russia tries to mark Crimean Tatars as terrorists trying to make like this toxic atmosphere around this people. If we’re talking about the period of time after the beginning of the full scale invasion, I’m sure that we can see also the strands are specifically targeting Crimean Tatar people when it comes precisely for instance, to the militarization sorry, mobilization, right. So, we can see that representatives of Russian authorities they come specifically to the places of the compact living of Crimean Tatar people and they give the summons is for the mobilization to Crimean Tatars. And it I mean, of course, it is important to say about some particular figures, but in this case, unfortunately, we have no particular data, but we can only rely on our information from the field and also the information of the image least of the Crimeans Tarars and by the way about the Mejlis and I think it’s really important. It’s not something new because it happened back in 2015 but still, it’s important to remind that the sound governing body of the Crimean Tatar people Mejlis is banned in Russian Federation before in occupied Crimea, and it’s marked, it’s banned, and it’s criminalized as so called extremist organization. So here again, we can see this pattern of trying to mark Crimean Tartar are people as sort of extremists and terrorists, etc. And the head of the Mejlis also Crimean, the leadership of the Mejlis, it’s currently in Kyiv, and the one of the leaders, sadly, Nariman Dzhelal he’s imprisoned now in Crimea, and he was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment. So and this whole scale invasion, the mobilization caused the process, which is really sad, again, because we can draw some parallels again, with the deportation of 1944. Because lots of Crimean Tartar people, they try to flee Crimea to avoid the mobilization, and they ended up again, in the countries of Central Asia, because of this documents issues, that there are problems was documented before they have to go to the Central Asia. And again, this is dramatic parallel with what the with 1944 as a Crimea Tartar were deported, were deported there. So and again, as far as decolonization, it’s important to emphasize that, aside of the fact that Crimea Tartar has had to massively flee Crimea, starting from 2014, and now to the beginning of the full scale invasion. In parallel, there’s a process of bringing Russian citizens to Crimea, in order to colonize it. So at least one, at least half a million people were brought like this, up to 800,000 people, just to compare, please compare it to the figure of the general population of Crimea, which before the start of the occupation was around 2.3 million people. So it’s almost half of that number was brought up Russian citizens were brought approximately there. And that’s, that’s what we call the another colonization. And of course, I think that my colleagues would more focus maybe on things related to raising the identity via destruction of the cultural heritage, language and school education of Crimean Tatar and yes, I would probably stop here at the moment and can answer other questions.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Maria. Definitely what you’re talking about this idea of colonization, that history repeats itself. You know, we for many years, we have been observing this Russia’s aggression aimed at the destruction of identity and cultural heritage of Crimean Tatars and I want to ask Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz who used to previously worked as a Deputy of the Bagçesaray and District Councils and the director of the Bagçesaray Historical and Cultural Reserve. What is happening with Khan’s Palace in Bagçesaray which continues to be destroyed through intentionally rebuilding works allegedly, right, and what are other crimes against Crimean Tatar culture you are observing on the peninsula right now? Because you’ve been focusing on it and you your institute is involved in it , right? Can you share with us what is happening there?

Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz
Thank you, Elina for this question. Indeed, the Russian Federation is continuing to modify the historical and cultural narrative of Crimea in way described by my colleagues critics in [inaudible] rectify the past, present and future of the peninsula as deeply as possible, and the they used the Crimea related cultural and historical heritage to justify the fact of occupation creates new historical means, they contextualize the cultural heritage of the peninsula and creates a new cultural identification using the methods of forced acculturation really our organization that I represent here, Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies our groups of expert has been engaged in the documenting activities that have helped identify some groups of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the sphere of cultural heritage protection and we fix four groups of violations, fuels change of ownership of cultural property and cultural institution. For example, I can say that more than 150,000 Crimean museum items are included in the state catalog of museum funds of the Russian Federation. More than 8,000 monuments of history and culture of Crimea are included in the state register of objects of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Second violation related with illicit experts and other removals of museum items from the territory of Crimea to the Russian Federation, and we were able to trace more than 700 museum items from Crimea that were presented in Russian from 2014 to 2023 violation related with illicit archaeological excavation and we fixed more than 410 permission for archaeological excavation in the territory of Crimea from 2014 to 2021. And fourth violation is damage or destruction of objects of cultural heritage that lead to lose this authenticity of these objects and of course, the most prime example of these kinds of violation is the so called restoration works in the Bagçesaray Palace. Unfortunately, Russia’s destruction of the Khan Palace in Bagçesaray has reached tragic proportions with a monuments being stripped of its authenticity and turned into a shoddily renovated, new built. An ancient building replaced by a new copy loses its values as a historical witness of the past, retaining only the value of visual illustration, it’s no longer exist as a monument of material culture. And as you’re aware, the Bagçesaray Palace complex was placed on UNESCO World Heritage tentative list back in 2003. However, Ukraine hadn’t yet managed to finish the following up work before Russia’s invasion, Russia has probably caused such irreparable damage to the site as to and any likelihood of the World Heritage status. Why does Russia do this? The destruction of monuments is always carried out for an idea- ideological purpose. The Crimean Tatar people who do not recognize the illegal annexation, and do not accept the Russian occupation simply do not fit into Moscow’s Crimea. Is Russia ideology, t he answer to the question whom Crimea belongs to lie in our history, that authentic not falsified history of Crimea and the Crimean Tatar people and in our historical memory, the memory of native people of the peninsula and in our right to self determination in the territory of Crimea, the truthful answer to the question whom Crimea belongs to destroy all the myths that the Russian Federation is actively creating, in the Crimean, in the Crimean society. And of course, this destruction related with our authenticity because the Khan Bagçesaray Palace carries huge symbolism for Crimean Tatars people being the only preserved object of the three and a half centuries of statehood, and undeniable proof of a region, our region and our development of the Crimean Tatar culture in the territory of Crimea. And that is why the safe of this monument is important for us.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much and we will definitely talk about how to save this monument. And it’s a real tragedy about what you’re just saying about this erasure, this deliberate erasure by Russian forces that is committed right now at this particular moment. And we are coming very close to the topic of accountability for violations of human rights. Maria told us about the cultural heritage, Elmira just told, I want to turn to Kateryna Busol, who is a Ukrainian lawyer specializing in international humanitarian law, transitional justice and cultural heritage. Kateryna is a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla-Academy, and also Kateryna and Elmira contributed to a study of the threats to Ukraine’s cultural heritage posed by Russia’s aggression. So the question is the following, what does the law say, what is needed to prove that cultural heritage was damaged, ruined in the war by a particular side by Russia, we are talking that it’s a deliberate attempt to erase the Crimen Tatars s or Ukrainian culture, and that it has indications of Russia’s genocidal intent?

Kateryna Busol
Thank you very much, Elina. While not going too deeply into the legal aspects, I will just point out that both Ukraine and Russia are parties to core international treaties that govern the conduct of hostilities and that govern the treatment the protection of heritage during armed conflict. The main rule is as follows, the occupying power which Russia is may not conduct anything with respect to cultural heritage without agreeing with a state to whom the territory belongs, unless an emergency situation happens unless this is necessary to preserve a particular cultural object in a situation of emergency which did not happen in Crimea. So all the patterns of violations which we have seen, starting from the mass appropriation of property, which include the museum institutions, to unlawful transfers of Ukraine, sculptural objects, paintings, for instance, from the Aivazovsky Museum in Theodosia, for the exhibition in Moscow at the Tretyakov Gallery, the unsanctioned archaeological excavations, the destruction, essentially the destruction of the Crimean Tatar burial sites mentioned by Ambassador Markarova. All these actions have been taken by Russia unilaterally in breach of its obligations to consult Ukraine on whether or not such steps are needed. And indeed, throughout all these actions, a more thorough question as to not only what Russia is doing, but why it is doing it does this question is important, and cultural erasure is unfortunately a response to it. Ukraine has alleged Russia’s policy of cultural erasure with respect to both Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar cultural heritage in occupied peninsula since early on, essentially this argument was brought up before the International Court of Justice in the case which Ukraine brought against Russia concerning alleged racial discrimination in Crimea, and quite symbolically, in two weeks, the ICJ the International Court of Justice will resume its hearings of this case and hopefully, especially in light of the full scale invasion, when we see how the violations which started in Crimea, how they have reverberated across Ukraine. Hopefully we’ll see more examination from the International Court of Justice on cultural issues as well. The only thing which I also wanted to point out in particular, is intangible cultural heritage. These are the issues of education and language. Again, Maria has briefly mentioned them and but I would want to point out that as soon as Russia appeared on the peninsula, it was an encroachment on Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, as the bearers of culture as the bearers of language as the teachers as the as journalists. So essentially, this chance to broadcast in Crimea Tatar to provide independent journalistic analysis in Crimean Tatar language, let alone to teach it at schools. It has been encroached, it has become dangerous to do that. And that, of course, is also part of the heritage violations and the replacement of identity and the wider colonization of the peninsula, which Russia is pursuing. So apart from the apparent violations against heritage, as you know, material property, we also see the encroachment of its on its intangible aspects unfortunately. Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Kateryna. Yeah and with all of that, with all these examples about the crimes committed by Russian forces in Crimea effecting cultural heritage people. The next question is how we can preserve the Crimea Tartar culture, and my question goes to Alim Aliev, who is the Deputy Director of Ukrainian Institute, and since 2017, the promotion of Ukrainian abroad has been overseen by this Ukrainian Institute. So Alim, according to the UNESCO classification, the Crimean Tatar language belongs to the languages that are under serious threat, where and how can Crimean Tatars learn the language now and definitely Kateryna just told us about this intangible valuables, right?

Alim Aliev
So thank you Elina for your question and before answer to your question, I want to give this broader context about colonization. Yeah, because more than 5,000 cases of human rights violations in Crimea, and it’s, of course, the tip of iceberg, and was the beginning of the full scale invasion of repression on the peninsula intensified significantly. Crimea after 2014 has become a role model, post occupation of the new territories in 2022, by Russia, from the creation of places of torture in basements, kidnapping journalists and activities to attempt to call, hope so called referendums. And this colonialism is about appropriation or destruction. There is no sort. I’m talking about memories, symbols, names and peoples. We talk today in May 18 and why did we talk about for example, violations of the right of self determination of Crimean indigenous Crimean Tatar people who see themselves as an integral part of Ukraine and when we talked about then of Mejilis of Crimean Tatar people’s representative body of the Crimean Tatars and call it extremist organization. I want to also say it about buildings at Russian parallel institutions and set of Mejilis or often authorities created a fake Crimean Tatar pro Russian political moments instead of the independent media. The established media is a pro Russian propaganda in Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages, and Crimean Tatar and Ukrainians was very clear national identities have been viewed as a threat to Russia security in Crimea by the peninsula occupying authorities, and destroy tangible and intangible cultural heritage that does not fit into a Russian modern ideology. And Emira state about Khan Palace, and if we talk about, for example, the Crimean Tatar language, which listed with one of the [inaudible] by UNESCO, that why Crimean Tatar see is preservation as one of our key tasks these days, because only 3% of the peoples in Crimea, study Crimean Tatar language. And what are the steps to stop the language from the disappearing parents create private initiatives following the language as well as speak it at home with their children? In our same situation, I was in Soviet times and my mom, my mom taught me about the solicitation with in your, in your family, in your family and one more what we start to do in Kyiv we establish literature project that promote Crimean Tatar language, promote Crimean Tatar lit- literature and literature about Crimea so and to and to establish an intellectual platform to talk about Crimea. Today Ukraine assert is also adopted strategy on Crimean Tatar language and it’s important for us because we need an infrastructure to language infrastructure from the universities to schools. It’s important that Crimean Tatars learn their own language but also Ukrainians can learn Crimean Tatar language. Um, is about history and history, it’s crucial because Russia trying to fabricate history and Russia and Russia federation talks about Crimean history from from the first annexation by Catherine II’s empire but Crimea has a rich history from the KhanPalace from the ancient times, etc., etc., etc. as it’s why we in Ukraine Institute launched academic online courses about Crimea and Crimean Tatars on a Udemy platform and all of our participants can learn about history of Crimea by Crimean Tatar perspective. A lot of online courses also established here in Ukraine language it’s in, and it’s important, and today also important to work with the young generation to work with pupils with the students to talk about different pages of history to talk about identity, about culture, about religion. Yeah, because what’s important what prying Russian authorities also using Crimean Tatar religious identity, something that has always played an important role to us against us by fabricating the image of Muslim terrorists and extremists. But these two articles Russia uses when prosecutes many Crimean Tatar political prisoners, but it’s the kingdom of brooked murals, which Russia is building on the peninsula contradicts the Islamic tradition of the Crimean Tatars. Nonviolent resistance in the Soviet times, and now is fundamental elements of the struggle for our land, but today we have another situation, and one more it’s about militarization. We talked a lot about militarization about weapon about that, today Crimea’s in military zone from where Russia just sent missile missiles launch missiles to you as a Ukraine territories. But we also talk about militarization of consciousness because Russia created a lot of paramilitary organizations that glorify war and glorify Russian power mean, that why today we talked with Crimean Tatars analysts with Crimean Tatar currents to to talk about Crimean Tatar history about our traditions to preserve our traditions here. We, we supported grassroots initiatives in mainland Ukraine and also in Crimea, but it’s also cultural initiatives or human rights initiatives who support political prisoners also. Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Alim. A lot of food for thought and I think we’ll follow up with many of the points that you have just raised in our third topic of discussion. We have just five minutes left, and what should the state international community respond to the protection Crimean Tatar identity and cultural heritage? So that’s the question and I think one and a half minute for everyone. So Elmira, over to you.

Elmira Ablyalimova-Chiyhoz
Thank you, Elina. Really today, Ukraine is becoming the training zone for improving, revising, adapting, testing standards principle, and methodologists designed for responding for the challenges that the cultural heritage is facing in territories of large scale and active military operations. To be, I would like to use the equate experience no matter it was positive case or some negative case and we have some loses or make some mistakes and have a long list, too, it is very important to update and develop the system for responding to threats and to losses of cultural values. And unfortunately, the international, international system of cultural heritage protection has shown us it’s an inequity, the international system of cultural heritage protection doesn’t protect from missiles attacks. This system doesn’t protect people in their heritage, and that’s why I think this time to find out something new, new tools, new forms, new methods to cultural heritage protection, because, as it was stated by a former UNESCO’s General Director Mr. Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow. He said that the one of the most notable incarnation of people’s generous, is cultural heritage, and that is why we need to protect cultural heritage and maybe,.

Elina Beketova
Thank you, Elmira. Maria, over to you, one minute too.

Maria Tomak
Yes, thank you. I would like to recall that today in the morning, our office hosted the meeting of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the members of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, and the Head of the Mejlis, Refat Chubarov, he used such and very powerful parallel, he recalled that today in the morning, Kyiv faced another rocket attack at 5am. And it was at 5am 79 years ago, when did the occupation of the Crimean Tatar start so and the roots of the this at all just the same, and this at all was not punished back then. And that’s why we are dealing with the situation, now again, so and this event was really important in emphasizing that there can be no compromises on Crimea. And I would like to really emphasize this idea, because oftentimes, we can hear this, you know, attempts, you know, to make Ukraine, think about some compromises. And I think that it’s important connection between our today’s topic, and the current situation in the front line, and in general, is the fact that only compromises on Crimea could come on a price of elimination of Crimean Tatar people and of Ukrainians in Crimea and elimination of identity. Therefore, the best way to protect Crimean Tatars, the cultural heritage, Ukrainians, etc. in Crimeais to provide Ukraine with the proper weapons, to give us the possibility to the occupied Crimean Peninsula and to reintegrate it to Ukraine.Thank you.

Thank you so much. Kateryna.

Kateryna Busol
Thank you, I totally agree with my colleagues about the occupation and the need of weapons for it in the judicial domain I will just add that it is important that despite all the grave crimes that we’re witnessing from across Ukraine, torture and for disappearances, deportation, to not forget to adjudicate the crimes affecting cultural heritage, exactly, because they show the way Russia is trying to impose its prosecutorial and allegedly genocidal policies that the states should also more proactively adjudicate, prosecute and adjudicate Russia’s crimes, including those affecting cultural heritage in their domestic courts pursuant to the principle of universal jurisdiction. And finally, there is an ample evidence that Russian top cultural figures, the director of the Hermitage Museums, top members of the National Academy of Sciences do recognize the occupation of Crimea, and they do research and publish research based on the objects to which they did not have the legal right to get access to so the United States as well as Ukraine’s partners across the globe should do a really good due diligence in terms of not associating with these partners, not allowing joint cultural events and not allowing any special museum occasions with such partners as well. Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Kateryna. Alim, your 30 seconds, unfortunately.

Alim Aliev
Yeah, thank you, thank you. Violations of human rights is possible only because Crimea is occupied and first of all, it’s important to help Ukraine to restore civil infrastructure and cultural heritage to support the preservation of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar identities. And this is our common war. It’s an anti colonial war and existential work of freedom, democracy, and for the slipperiness of human right’s, and we now we’re confident in our victory. And, but today, it’s our common goal not only the work of Ukrainians. That’s why please be with us and stand withUkraine and support our country.Thank you.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Alim, and for closing remarks, I will turn to Kateryna Smagliy, First Secretary, Embassy of Ukraine in the USA.

Kateryna Smagliy
Thank you very much CEPA and thank you very much all the speakers for participating in today’s excellent discussion. We have touched upon a number of very important and deep issues. Putin has started this war with a genocidal intent, there is no doubt about it. And it is our duty to prove him wrong. Ukraine’s armed forces are proving him wrong on the battlefield. We as scholars, as experts also have a duty to prove him wrong in university classrooms and think tank discussions, in think tank programs and auditorium. This war has demonstrated lack of deep expertise in Ukraine. And now a lot of universities all over the United States and the world, open Ukraine programs to study and understand Ukraine better, I can only urge them to open not only Ukrainian programs, but Crimean Tatar programs and the program on Crimea because this will also be used as an element for the occupation of Crimea, and of our political efforts to advocate to keep Russia and leadership accountable for all the crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity that they have committed in Crimea and in Ukraine. Thank you all very much for doing this wonderful, deep, thoughtful debate. Many thanks to our excellent moderator. And we hope that together with CEPA, we will continue working on the issue of protection of Ukraine’s and Crimean Tatar cultural heritage.

Elina Beketova
Thank you so much, Kateryna. Thank you all our wonderful and brilliant experts today for such a deep conversation. And thank you all for tuning into the discussion hosted by the Center for European Policy Analysis and the Embassy of Ukraine to the United States. For more research and analysis, please visit cepa.org or follow @CEPA on Twitter. Thank you so much.