Ukrainians back Tartar anniversary

Ukrainians in Kiev and Lviv come out in support of Crimea's Tartars on the eve of the anniversary of mass deportations by Stalin in 1944. Paul Chapman reports.

Published

2 months ago

Categories

World

Topics

Europe, World

People

Paul Chapman

Places

Russia, Kiev, Lviv

Transcript

Ukrainians gather outside the Mihailovsky Cathedral in Kiev to light candles in the shape of Crimea. Crimea's capital is usually the centre of the Tartars' annual commemoration of the mass deportations from the region by Stalin in 1944. Since its annexation by Russia 70 years later a ban's been imposed on all public gatherings in the Crimean capital. Crimea's Tartars widely ignored a referendum that led to the annexation. Their leaders are appealing for international action. (SOUNDBITE)(Russian) MUSTAGA DZHEMILEV, CRIMEAN TARTAR LEADER, SAYING: "Every day of occupation is an insult to every Ukrainian (THIS MAN SAYS). This is a call to all world opinion in the 21st century for a country to use force to seize another country and we hope the world community and all Ukrainian people will unite and put an end to this disorder." Ukrainians in the city of Lviv also turned out to mark the Tartar deportation anniversary. Official figures say 193, 000 were deported by Soviet secret police who accused them of Nazi collaboration during German occupation of the peninsula during World War Two. Crimea's Tartar's say the figure is nearer to quarter of a million including soldiers who fought the with Red Army.