Ukraine is shocked by the arrest made in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, one of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis Mr. Akhtem Ciygoz on absurd charges of organizing and participating in the riots that took place in February 26, 2014 in Simferopol, Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

This infamous case is a continuation of the criminal policy of Russian Federation in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea aimed at discrediting all Ukrainian people and harassment of the Crimean Tatar people that resist it the most.

Separately it should be noted, that the arrest of Mr. Akhtem Ciygoz was preceded by a search on January 26, 2015 at Crimean Tatar TV "ATR" channel in Simferopol with followed archive extraction of materials about events that took place on February 26, 2014. The only so called “fault" of a mentioned TV channel is that it has covered these events back then.

We demand from Russian occupation authorities to immediately release Mr. Akhtem Ciygoz, to stop a persecution of Crimean Tatar people and to take steps to stop the systematic violations of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

We call on the international community to condemn the acts of persecution and terror against the Crimean Tatars of Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

We believe that repression of the occupation authorities did not break the spirit of the Crimean Tatar people, who survived deportation organized by Stalin's regime.