The resolution, adopted in Warsaw last Friday, recalls that early on May 18, 1944, Soviet authorities commenced the deportation of nearly 200,000 Crimean Tatars from the peninsula, herding them into cattle car trains for transport to Central Asia and Siberia.
Some 8,000 died immediately during the journey, and another 45,000 perished soon after arriving at their destinations.
The Soviets systematically erased Tatar heritage from Crimea, a process that continued until the late 1980s when the exiled could return to their lands, now seized again by the Russians.
In 2014, Russia illegally annexed the strategically important Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which are part of Ukraine, and again began systematic persecution of the peninsula’s Tatar residents.
In 2016, Russia banned the activities of the Mejlis—the Crimean Tatar parliament—under false charges, leading to the exile of dozens of Tatar activists, including Mustafa Dzhemilev, and the imprisonment of others.
The resolution condemned the 2014 annexation, labeling it a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. It noted that this act was among the initial steps in Russia's war against Ukraine, which is characterized by deliberate and systematic violence against Ukrainian civilians, actions that in themselves may be recognized as genocide.
Piotr Kowal, chairman of the Polish Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, emphasized the resolution's aim to acknowledge the tragedy of the deportations and genocide of the Crimean Tatars.
During a press conference on July 12, he stated: "We find it necessary to once again condemn the annexation and military occupation of Ukrainian territories by Russia in 2014, and the exceptionally brutal, unprovoked aggression against Ukraine in 2022."
Kowal also highlighted the longstanding bonds between Poland and the Tatar community, underscoring Poland's refusal to recognize forced changes in borders or any Russian annexations.
He reiterated the shared history, saying: "We remind the free world of the plight of the Crimean Tatars, and the Polish people of the Polish-Tatar connections."
Dzhemilev, a longtime leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, also spoke at the conference, marking the 80th anniversary of the massive crime against the Tatar nation.
He recounted that the first of such crimes occurred during the initial Russian occupation of Crimea in the 19th century and that subsequent crimes aimed to completely obliterate the Tatar nation, including the destruction of books and renaming of towns.
Dzhemilev expressed gratitude for Poland's recognition of these "genocidal acts."
"We are grateful to Poland and the Polish people for welcoming millions of Ukrainians into their homes, who were forced to leave their own due to bombings and attacks by Russia," he said.
"Poles and Polish organizations have supported the Crimean Tatars since Ukraine regained its independence, and have continued to do so, even after the onset of the full-scale war," he added.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP