US strongly condemns ongoing persecution of Crimean Tatars

On Monday, the United States unequivocally denounced the unrelenting persecution of Crimean Tatars at the hands of Russia.

"The U.S. strongly condemns the continued persecution of Crimean Tatars by Russian occupation authorities, which includes an emerging wave of mass arrests and detentions," remarked Secretary of State Antony Blinken on X, formerly referred to as Twitter.

Blinken asserted, "Russia must immediately cease its persecution of Crimean Tatars, terminate its occupation of Ukraine, and promptly release all political prisoners held there."

In February 2014, Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula. The subsequent month, President Vladimir Putin formally subdivided the region into two distinct federal entities of the Russian Federation.

Since then, Crimean Tatars have endured persecution, a grave situation that has garnered strong condemnation from numerous countries. Turkey, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations General Assembly have all characterized the annexation of Crimea as illegitimate.