Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/10303224
Amnesty International (AI) reported that since annexation, Russia has oppressed Crimea’s non-Russian residents, namely Ukrainians and Crimean Tartars, in two ways: by changing the region’s ethnic demographics and, more systematically, through “restrictions on education, religion, media, representative institutions, judicial system, and cultural celebrations.”
AI explained that Russian post-annexation figures of Crimea showed a decrease of Ukrainian residents by almost 10 percent and Crimean Tartars by 2 percent, which are figures AI says are inconsistent with even the highest numbers of these residents who fled the peninsula in 2014. AI thus attributed the drop in residents to “ethnic Ukrainians now choosing or feeling compelled to identify as Russian, or a combination of both.”
After annexation, all non-Russian residents were given citizenship to Russia unless they “formally opted out.” Opting out puts the “foreigner” in a disadvantaged position regarding their “economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights.”
That people choose not to identify with an adversary country was quite obvious. Ethnic and linguistic obstacles in education, celebrations, institutions, etc. are common for minorities everywhere, even within the EU.
As for media and religious censorship, it also applies to the rest of russia, typical of a dictatorship. Honestly, I expected something much worse.
But the fact that it’s done to more people is not a mitigating factor is it.
And just like those Afghan girls that knew better once, having these freedoms actively stripped away makes it worse.