The Georgian Foreign Ministry has criticized statements made by the European Union regarding legal proceedings that could lead to the banning of five opposition parties. The ministry issued its response following comments made on October 19 by European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand.
In January-March 2023, the Russian authorities carried out 83 arrests in Crimea on politically motivated cases. Of these, 54 were against members of the Crimean Tatar people. In addition, 21 searches were carried out, 19 of them in the homes of Crimean Tatars.
According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, since 2014 many activists have been subjected to repression by the Russian authorities. The most common reason is the accusation of involvement in the activities of the Islamic organization «Hizb ut-Tahrir», which is prohibited in Russia, but is legally operating in Europe.
Also, many residents left the Crimea, having moved to the inner regions of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Crimean Tatars have been actively participating in military operations on the side of the APU.