Crimeans urged to boycott Russian elections

By Ali Cura

KIEV, Ukraine

The chairman of the Crimean Tatar legislature, the Mejlis, Friday called on residents of the annexed peninsula to boycott next week's Russian legislative elections.

“It is illegal and a crime that the occupant Russian administration is holding the Russian State Duma elections in Crimea, which is an integral part of Ukraine,” Refat Chubarov said, calling the organizers “murderers”.

“The Crimean Tatar Mejlis calls on all Crimean residents 18 years and older to boycott the illegal Russian State Duma elections to be held in occupied Crimea,” he said, adding that in accordance with the current legislation enforced in Crimea, the Russian Federation had no right to force anyone to vote in the elections.

Chubarov said the legitimacy of the Duma would also be questioned since the elections constituted a violation of international law.

Elections to the State Duma, Russia’s 450-seat lower house of parliament, take place on Sep. 18.

Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in March 2014 following a contested referendum. Since then, the region’s Tatar minority has regularly denounced increasing repression including arbitrary arrests and detentions.