Conference participants discussed the infringement of Circassian rights in Russia

An international conference entitled "The Circassian Genocide in the Context of History and Contemporary Politics" was held in the Seimas of Lithuania, organized by the United Circassian Council.

Participants recalled that from 1763 to 1864, Tsarist Russia carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Circassians: hundreds of thousands were killed, their villages destroyed, and the population subjected to forced deportation. According to the speakers, the suffering of the Circassian people in exile—associated with disease, harsh climate conditions, and mass deaths—represents another national tragedy. Recognition of the genocide was framed as a matter of historical justice.

Scholars and civil society representatives spoke about the systemic pressures faced by Circassians in the Russian Federation: curtailment of educational programs in their native language, restrictions on the right to return, and instances of political repression.

At the end of the conference, representatives of the Circassian people presented the Lithuanian Seimas with an official document requesting recognition of the Circassian genocide.

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