Akhtem Chiygoz gave his final speech: «I am destined to accept this verdict as a verdict for the entire Crimean Tatar people»

The deputy chairman of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars Akhtem Chiygoz, being accused by the Russian occupants in organizing the mass riots in Simferopol during the rally on February 26, 2014, gave his last speech before delivering a verdict. He accused Russia of occupying Crimea and told about the invaders’ purposes in his last word.

The website «15 minutes» hereby quotes Chiygoz’s full speech:

«Before my mother had gone, I apologized for as a son being away from her during her last tough times. Gathering her last strength, she said: «I'm proud of having brought up such a son!» Whatever I’ve done, no matter how hard it is for me now and not knowing whether I leave alive at all, I am scared even more of my actions, thoughts and statements can disgrace me as a human and as Crimean Tatar; and my people will be ashamed for trusting and electing me to the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars.

«Ant ethkenmen, sez bergenmen millet ichun olmege ... » (I vowed, I gave my word to die for my people…)

Like other members of Mejlis, I oathed bowing my knee and kissing the national flag in the Khan's palace courtyard, the symbol of our people, and the center of the ancient Crimean Tatars’ state.

The cause of several deportations, in fact a genocide, was a desire of the Russian Empire, later the USSR, to clean Crimea off ​​the Crimean Tatars and forever destroy history and the memory of our people.

Each Crimean Tatar pronounces these words, vowes and feels responsibility in face of the future generation for his people fate, for his motherland’s destiny.

People themselves elect their leaders. Nothing could break people’s will, nothing could destroy its identity, love for their homeland, and for their land that was passed from generation to generation. For Crimean Tatars, like many other peoples, the concepts of «civil duty», «patriotism», and «national dignity» are distinct values.

Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainian citizens once again came out with a protest against threats to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and with demands to call to account policy adventurers and political rascals on February 26, 2014.

Later on, within the Crimean occupation, despite the numerous policy provocations, abductions, murders, rummages, arrests, prohibition on holding commemorative mourning dates, huge fines for any smallest activity, despite using the wide repressive methods, Crimean Tatars together with other Ukrainian citizens continued and continue to fulfill their civil duty. These circumstances exactly  irritate these forces, lead to anger and make to arrange a trial over the innocent people.

For more than 2 years there is passing a state trial which entered the history as a case of «February 26». Its aim, of course, is to intimidate the Crimean Tatars, to strangle and minimize their activity, defending their rights, supporting Ukraine and the world community, which refused recognizing the illegal annexation of Crimea.

It is quite obvious to each that there is no criminal case against Akhtem Chiygoz.

Incidents, happened on February 26, 2014 at a peaceful rally held by the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars, were provoked by people who subsequently contributed to the military occupation of Crimea. Nevertheless, they judge not those who betrayed, who had aims and intentions to change the territorial integrity of Ukraine, who later abducted and killed people, illegally vested themselves with the power to rule and judge. They judge those who defended the state laws, international laws and rules.

The invader arranges the trials having no right to that.

In such a situation, and knowing all the true intentions of the customers in this case, there is no use to talk about any court’s objectivity and independence.

I am destined to accept this verdict as a verdict for the entire Crimean Tatar people on behalf of the Russian Federation that occupied my motherland».

To remind some facts, on August 7, 2017, the prosecutor on Chiygoz’s case asked a court  to sentence the defendant for 8 years.

The verdict will be delivered on September 11, 2017.

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