VR chairman: We need to speed up the return of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians to their homes

The relevant statement was made by Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk on Facebook on the occasion of Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide, which is annually marked on May 18, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Turning the pages of history, today we stop in 1944, remembering the deportation of the indigenous people from the Crimean peninsula. […] We must remember the horrible tragedy of the Crimean Tatar people, honor the memory of the genocide victims and speed up the day when Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians will return to their homes,” Stefanchuk wrote.

In his words, the Crimean Tatar genocide is a disaster that took human lives away and destroyed everything spiritual and cultural, which had been raised in Crimea. The peninsula became a platform for persecution, injustice and inhumanity.

“It seemed that so much time had passed and all the disasters had been over. However, after Russia occupied Crimea, they resumed the persecution of Crimean Tatars. Hence, again a suitcase, again a train station, again a ticket into the unknown. And again the Kremlin is the one to blame,” Stefanchuk stressed.

Crimea is Ukraine, and the ‘Russian world’ has already been shown the route it needs to follow, Stefanchuk added.