Ukraine says Russia has detained over 50 Crimean Tatars

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say more than 50 Crimean Tatars have been detained by Russian law enforcement. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that has been denounced by most of the world. Ethnic Russians in Crimea applauded the annexation but Crimean Tatars, who accounted for nearly 15% of the population, opposed it. An estimated 30,000 Tatars have fled Crimea since 2014. Some who stayed have faced a crackdown by Russian authorities, who banned the Crimean Tatars’ main representative body and some religious groups. Amnesty International says about 80 Crimean Tatars have been convicted of various charges and 15 activists have gone missing.