Ukraine updates: Russia altering Crimean identity — Amnesty

UK-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International lambasted Moscow’s policies in the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, which marks the 10-year anniversary of the Russian annexation of the peninsula.

In a 19-page report, Amnesty said Russia has been seeking to suppress the Ukrainian identity in Crimea, as well as the identity of other minorities, including the Crimean Tatars.

“In 10 years of occupation, Russia has done everything in its power to delegitimize Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea,” Amnesty said, describing policies Moscow has used “to alter the ethnic makeup” of the peninsula.

It warned that Russia’s policies in Crimea were akin to a “blueprint” it used in other Ukrainian areas it currently occupies. Russia illegally annexed four more Ukrainian regionsin the east in 2022, following its full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Amnesty said the past decade has seen Moscow enforce multiple restrictions over Ukrainians and Crimean Tatar identities in Crimea. These were in areas including education, religion, media and the judicial system.

“Changes to the curriculum and the almost total eradication of Ukrainian language tuition are designed to ensure that younger generations will lack the knowledge and awareness to challenge the Russian narrative surrounding Crimea’s history,” the report said.

It also noted how residents of the peninsula have been obliged to accept Russian passports or “face the deprivation of their human rights, denial of access to essential services and even risk being deported.”

rmt/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)