Amnesty International in Ukraine

PRESS RELEASE

07/12/2016

The outdoor exhibition of Emine Ziyatdinova`s photographs dedicated to Ervin Ibrahimov and life of Crimean Tatars in the occupied peninsula is to be opened in Kyiv.

“Abroad” is a joint project of Amnesty International in Ukraine and independent curators, Lizaveta Herman and Mariya Lanko, organized with support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The exhibition is aimed at drawing public attention to the cases of enforced disappearances and political persecution of Crimean Tatar activists in the occupied peninsula.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on December 16, at 19.00 in the courtyard of the MFA of Ukraine (1 Mykhailivska sqr) with the participation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin, Chief Executive of Amnesty International in Ukraine Oksana Pokalchuk, representatives of the Crimean Tatar community and civil society.

The outdoor exhibition in the courtyard of the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at Mykhailivska Square consists of two parts, namely photographs of Emine Ziyatdinova and documents concerning the abduction of Ervin Ibrahimov. Any part does not perform illustrative function in relation to another, however given the parallel comparison they form a third story that is the invisibility of social and political oppression experienced today by citizens of Ukraine in the Crimea.

"Human rights violations in Crimea and release of Kremlin prisoners are constantly on the agenda of the Foreign Ministry. Emine Ziyatdinova’s photo exhibition is the next step of public diplomacy aimed at drawing attention to the repressive polices of Russia on the peninsula. I am very glad that this project is implemented in the open space of the Ministry, so anybody can visit the exhibition. I invite everyone to come and have a look at it", Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin said.

"Serious and systematic violations of human rights take place in Crimea. Currently, our task is to attract the attention of the international community and citizens of Ukraine to the situation on the peninsula. We have to show that perpetrators of human rights violations should be brought to account.

Almost for 7 months Ervin Ibrahimov’s parents do not know where their son is and what happened to him. He disappeared on May 24 near his home in Bakhchisarai. Records from a security camera show a group of men who forced him to get into the car and took him to an unknown destination. This is just one story of many similar. We have to show that we know what is happening on the peninsula, and we will not go back until human rights violations are eliminated in the Crimea ,” - Oksana Pokalchuk, Chief Executive of Amnesty International in Ukraine said.

During the opening, everyone will be able to sign a petition to so called Crimean authorities to investigate the enforced disappearance of activist and write a letter of support to parents Ervin Ibrahimov.

Everybody also can sign a petition online:  http: //cases.amnesty.org.ua/sprava/w4r2016-ukraine    

 

Media accreditation is required.

tel. +38 (044) 238-15-29

+38 (044) 238-17-20

+38 (044) 238-18-41

For information requests, please contact Maria Guryeva, a specialist on media and communication of Amnesty International in Ukraine

Mob: +38 067 328 10 38

E-mail: [email protected]

Disclaimer

The exhibition is a result of the joint work of Amnesty International Ukraine, the curators and the photographer.  Amnesty International Ukraine takes all the responsibility for the content of the exhibition.

Additional Information

Ervin Ibrahimov is Crimean Tatar activist, who disappeared on May 24 near his home in Bakhchisarai, a city in the central Crimea. Records from a security camera show a group of men who forced him to get into the car and took him to an unknown destination. No one saw Ervin since that time, maybe he is in danger now. Amnesty International in Ukraine carries out numerous actions, which aim to made so called Crimean authorities to investigate the disappearance of Ervin Ibrahimov and many others.

Emine Ziyatdinova is a Ukrainian documentary photographer, journalist and sociologist of Tatar origin. She was born in Uzbekistan, where her family was deported from Crimea in 1944 by the Stalin’s regime. Emine received a master’s degree in sociology at Lviv University and in photojournalism at Ohio University (Fulbright Student Program 2010-2013, School of Visual Communication, Ohio University, Athens, OH). During the academic exchange upon Fulbright Program she held an internship in Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund Fellowship and worked on a documentary photo project about the life of the Russian-speaking community in New York on Brighton Beach. Her works were published in the New York Times, CNN Photo Blog, Daily Mail, Tyzhden and National Geographic Ukraine and other publications. The main topic of Emine’s documentary photo project is immigration and ethnic minorities.

Curators Maria Lanko and Lizaveta German works at the intersection of exhibitional, research and self-educational practices independently and in situational partnership with artists, curators and other institutions of different profiles and sizes. Curatorial team work is based on sequential study of Modern Art of Ukraine and its recent history in close connection with the socio-political reality and institutional development. One of the main tools of curators’ research project is "Open Archive", an online platform openarchive.com.ua

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people in more than 150 countries and territories, who strive to end gross violations of human rights. Amnesty International seeks to provide everybody with a possibility to enjoy rights declared in Universal Declaration of Human rights and other international human rights instruments. http://amnesty.org.ua