UNESCO delegation visits Crimea Platform Office for first time

"This was the first visit of the UNESCO mission delegation to the Office of the Crimea Platform. The main topic of discussion was the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea within the scope of competence of the organization," the Office of the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea posted on Facebook.

As noted, Krista Pikkat, Director of the Culture and Emergencies Entity in the Culture Sector at UNESCO, emphasized that the topic of Crimea is extremely important and this year will be covered by a separate block during the report of the UNESCO Director-General at the 215th session of the Executive Board.

The main focus of the participants was on anti-war protests in the territory of the occupied Crimean peninsula, violations of human rights, persecution of journalists and Crimean Tatars for their pro-Ukrainian views, as well as the destruction of cultural monuments (including those of Crimean Tatar people), in particular, illegal archaeological excavations, transfer of museum exhibits from recently captured territories of southern Ukraine to the occupied Crimea.

"The Khan's Palace in Bakhchisaray is the only such monument of Crimean Tatar culture which the occupiers are currently destroying under the guise of restoration works," said Denys Chystikov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The members of the program mission noted that it was important for the voice of truth from occupied Crimea be heard on the international stage.

As reported, in occupied Crimea, one of the buildings of the Khan's Palace in Bakhchisaray cracked after the so-called restoration works.