“Dzhemilev said Crimean Tatars are bearing the brunt of the Russian occupation. They account for 13% of the peninsula’s population, but he said 85% of political arrests and illegal searches were targeted against them. Crimean Tatar activists have disproportionately been the victims of kidnapping and disappearances. Dzemilev said 49 activists were missing and only eight of their bodies had been found so far. Political leaders and dozens of activists have been jailed.
Despite the level of control and persecution, Dzemilev said if Crimean Tatars felt liberation was close, the ranks of the partisans would grow significantly. “At the current moment, around 1,000 young men are ready to take up arms as soon as the Ukrainian army arrives, if they are able to get the weapons,” he said.
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“Dzhemilev said Crimean Tatars are bearing the brunt of the Russian occupation. They account for 13% of the peninsula’s population, but he said 85% of political arrests and illegal searches were targeted against them. Crimean Tatar activists have disproportionately been the victims of kidnapping and disappearances. Dzemilev said 49 activists were missing and only eight of their bodies had been found so far. Political leaders and dozens of activists have been jailed.
Despite the level of control and persecution, Dzemilev said if Crimean Tatars felt liberation was close, the ranks of the partisans would grow significantly. “At the current moment, around 1,000 young men are ready to take up arms as soon as the Ukrainian army arrives, if they are able to get the weapons,” he said.
Fingers crossed.