OTTAWA – The CBC reported on May 18 that Mustafa Dzhemilev, a long-time human rights activist repeatedly jailed for political dissent in the former Soviet Union and a leader of the Crimean Tatars, urged the government of Canada “to live up to its promises and pass legislation to punish Russians defying human rights.”
Mr. Dzhemilev, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, delivered the message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and senior members of the Liberal Cabinet, including International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“Human dignity is constantly being violated,” Mr. Dzhemilev told CBC News in an interview through a translator, prior to testimony before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. “If Western countries decide to re-establish relationships with Russia and become friends again, it is a disaster for the entire Crimean Tatar people.”