Amnesty International (AI) has expressed concerns over the situation faced by Crimean Tatars in Ukraine's Crimea after the peninsula was annexed by Russia earlier in March.
In its statement issued on May 23, the AI said that Crimean Tatars face an uncertain future ahead of presidential elections in Ukraine in which they and other residents of Crimea will no longer be able to take part.
John Dalhuisen, the AI's Europe and Central Asia Program Director said that authorities-backed armed groups had alienated Crimean Tatars by harassing Tatar leaders, threatening to dissolve their self-governing body - Mejlis, and restricting their rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
Dalhuisen added that up to 7,000 Tatars have fled Crimea and those who have stayed face the unenviable choice of accepting Russian citizenship or become 'foreigners' in their homeland.
In its statement issued on May 23, the AI said that Crimean Tatars face an uncertain future ahead of presidential elections in Ukraine in which they and other residents of Crimea will no longer be able to take part.
John Dalhuisen, the AI's Europe and Central Asia Program Director said that authorities-backed armed groups had alienated Crimean Tatars by harassing Tatar leaders, threatening to dissolve their self-governing body - Mejlis, and restricting their rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
Dalhuisen added that up to 7,000 Tatars have fled Crimea and those who have stayed face the unenviable choice of accepting Russian citizenship or become 'foreigners' in their homeland.