Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on anniversary of deportation of Crimean Tatars

May 18, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement:

“Today, we commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars by Soviet authorities in 1944.

“On this solemn occasion, we remember the appalling loss of life and tremendous suffering endured by the hundreds of thousands of children, women and men deported from their ancestral homeland.

“We also remember the unfailing courage, remarkable resilience and enduring spirit of the Crimean Tatar people, who continue to speak out courageously in support of a free and democratic Ukraine.

“We reiterate our unreserved condemnation of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and our serious concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the Crimean peninsula under continued Russian occupation. We continue to denounce the banning of the Mejlis, the governing body of the Crimean Tatars, and have called on Russia to reverse this illegal and immoral decision.

“Canada will continue to call for the protection of the rights of all communities in the Crimean peninsula, including the Crimean Tatar community.”

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