The group opposing the Crimean Tatar Meeting








The Crimean Tatar Participants














CLASHES SPARKED OFF OVER THE ISSUE OF A MARKET ON A HOLY PLACE

By Idil P. Izmirli / US IREX IARO Researcher

12:30 : On July 8, 2006 there took a major conflict between the members of the Russian Community (Russkaya Obshina); the Cossacks with unknown origin and the Crimean Tatar protesters who were picketing in front of the Bahce Saray Market that has been built on a Crimean Tatar holy place "Azizler" (The Saints).

This Market, which has been built on a Muslim holy place, was creating a lot of controversy for Crimean Tatars for a while now. For the last month, the regional Mejlis members as well as the other Crimean Tatars, including Idris Asanin, have been trying to resolve this issue peacefully and were conducting negotiations with the authorities. When the court case that Tatars filed for this issue also resulted unconstructively, the Bahce Saray regional Mejlis decided to organize a protest and picket the Market that does not only include the Market itself but also the toilets that are located near the Muslim holy stones. However, when the Crimean Tatar picketers locked the Market gates and started to protest in front of it, the members of the Russian Community and the Cossacks also appeared on the scene quickly. They were well prepared. They first closed the roads between Bahce Saray and other cities, including Simferopol, to block the paths for other Crimean Tatars to arrive in Bahce Saray. Then they started to attack on the isolated Crimean Tatar picketers and beat them up heavily under the watchful eyes of Ukrainian BARS and BERKUT police forces, which also arrived at the market place. While the attackers were beating up the Crimean Tatars and breaking up their Crimean Tatar flag polls, they were also carrying signs that stated: Luggage, Train station, Baku and Uzbekistan. The message was clear: they wanted Crimean Tatars to pick up their luggage and go to Uzbekistan; i.e. a new deportation.

As a result of this provocative attack, 10 Crimean Tatars, including the president of the Bahce Saray regional Mejlis Ahtem Ciygoz and his brother were hospitalized.

Crimean Tatars will try to bring this issue up with the authorities on July 10, 2006. If the issue cannot be resolved with the authorities, on July 11, 2006 Tuesday, there will take another protest at the market by the Crimean Tatars.
12:30 - 10.07.2006 - Simferopol, Crimea

Taken from www.qha.org.ua