Vladimir Putin’s fourth presidential ‘election’ was moved back a week in order to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the turnout on the occupied peninsula was clearly seen as significant. Photographs from Crimean polling stations on 18 March do not tally with official reports, and certainly, the vast majority of Crimean Tatars seem to have boycotted the event. This is despite four years bitter experience of the repressive measures they are likely to face for their courageous resistance.
Repression against the Mejlis [representative assembly] of the Crimean Tatar People began soon after the Mejlis called on all Crimeans to boycott Russia’s pseudo-referendum on 16 March 2014, with two of its leaders – Mustafa Dzhemilev and the current Head Refat Chubarov – banned from their homeland. A further wave of repression came swiftly after the Mejlis also called for a boycott of Russian-controlled elections in September 2014. Mejlis Deputy Head Akhtem Chiygoz was imprisoned for almost three years and the Mejlis itself banned. The Mejlis issued a statement on 12 March, stressing that any Russian elections are illegal on occupied territory and that taking part in them is in violation of Ukrainian legislation.
