Press release, 11 April 2016
Photos of the Office of the Seimas (author Olga Posaškova)
Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, welcomed the participants of the international conference Mass Violation of Human Rights in Occupied Crimea, held at the Lithuanian Parliament, and thanked them for their deep interest in the subject of human rights violations of Crimean Tatars in the annexed peninsula.
The Speaker stressed that the Crimean Tatars were a nation with a deep-rooted, rich and complex history. She stated that the events of the past several years were a significant historical challenge. “Following Russia’s seizure of Crimea, the Autonomous Republic bears witness to the ongoing systematic violations of human rights on its soil. A cause for concern is also repression against the Crimean Tatars and limitations of the freedom of expression and assembly,” said Loreta Graužinienė.
She expressed her hope that the international conference would help to repeatedly draw the attention of the global community to the massive human rights violations in the occupied Crimea.
The Speaker of the Seimas also welcomed the objective of the conference to discuss equally topical and relevant matters of preservation of cultural identity, language, and culture of the Crimean Tatars. “As demonstrated by Lithuania’s historical experience, these matters are very important for every mature and conscious nation opting for freedom and democracy,” said Ms Graužinienė, wishing many valuable insights for conference participants.
Rosvaldas Gorbačiovas, Senior Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6005, mob. +370 698 42 071, e-mail: [email protected]
