Press Release, 05.05.2014

Today YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin forwarded an appeal to Public Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika demanding to protect the right of Mustafa Dzemilov, leader of the Crimean Tatars and famous human rights activist, to enter the territory of Crimea.

For the past few days Dzemilev was not admitted to Crimea twice: first, he was withdrawn from a flight from Moscow to Simferopol, and the following day he was not allowed though a checkpoint in Armyansk. “Article 11 of the Law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation” stipulates that foreign citizens have the right to the freedom of movement for personal or business purposes within the Russian Federation. If we assume that Crimea is a part of the Russian Federation, then Dzemilev who legally entered Russia (Moscow) had the right to go to Simferopol. He also had the right to go to the territory of Ukraine and then enter through a checkpoint in Armyansk,” ran the appeal.

Mitrokhin also demanded to stop persecution of representatives of the Crimean Tatars, who had gobe to greet Dzemilev in the checkpoint in Armyansk.

“This is a very grave political error questioning civil peace in Crimea. Crimean Tatars took a travel ban for prominent human rights activist as a humiliation. If one continuously humiliates people, sooner or later this will end badly,” YABLOKO leader noted.