The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its resolute protest to yet another wave of groundless searches and illegal detentions of the citizens of Ukraine by the Russian occupation authorities in the city of Bakhchysaray (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine).

As a result, 6 people were illegally detained, in addition to that at least 9 activists were arrested only for coming to support their compatriots and standing nearby the houses where searches were conducted.

The onslaught of the occupants against those opposing the occupation regime, in particular Crimean Tatar activists and Ukrainians, once again testifies the continuation of Russia's repressive policy with the aim to eradicate any dissent voices and intimidate the population of the Crimean peninsula.

Moreover, targeted searches in the homes of Muslims are a clear manifestation of persecutions on religious grounds.

Repressions, illegal detentions, enforced disappearances, abductions, tortures and other violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms have become a regular practice of the Russian occupation authorities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Russia keeps blatantly and cynically violating its international legal obligations, UN General Assembly resolutions 68/262 of 27 March 2014 "Territorial integrity of Ukraine” and 71/205 of 19 December 2016 "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)”, the order of the International Court of Justice on provisional measures in the case Ukraine vs the Russian Federation regarding the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

We call on the international community to actively stand for the rights and freedoms of the population of the Crimean peninsula and to force Russia to stop malicious persecutions against those opposing the occupation.