SIMFEROPOL, April 13. /TASS/. The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People will appeal the ruling by Crimean Prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya to suspend its activity, lawyer Dzhemil Temishev representing in court the Mejlis’ interests told TASS Wednesday.
"I believe such a decision is premature. Our procedural opponent, while realizing that judicial prospects of making this ruling (on recognizing the Mejlis’ activity extremist) are illusory, still insists on suspension of activity in this way. Of course we will appeal it," Temishev said.
Crimean Prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya on Wednesday said she ruled to suspend the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
A copy of the document was handed to representatives of the public association, a TASS correspondent reported.
"Today I made the ruling to suspend the activity of the public association ‘Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People’ in order to prevent violations of the federal laws," Poklonskaya told TASS.
The ruling will be valid until Crimea’s Supreme Court makes its decision on Poklonskaya’s lawsuit. Earlier she demanded to recognize the Mejlis as an extremist organization. The lawsuit is at the stage of consideration by the court.
In her decision, Poklonskaya cites articles 9 and 10 of the federal law "On counteraction to extremist activity". The decision of the Crimean prosecutor’s office was sent to the Justice Ministry of the Russian Federation to include it in the general list of public and religious associations whose activity in the Russian Federation has been suspended.
"The rights of the public association are suspended. The association is banned from using all state and municipal media, it can’t hold various public mass events, use bank accounts or conduct any type of work. All its propaganda will be prohibited," the Crimean prosecutor explained.
Poklonskaya’s lawsuit was filed February 15, 2016. The extremism of the Mejlis’ activity could be proven by various unauthorized actions of the Mejlis’ members, including organized mass disorders in front of the Crimean parliament on February 26, 2014.
Crimea’s reunification with Russia
The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are Russians, refused to recognize the legitimacy of authorities brought to power amid riots during a coup in Ukraine in February 2014.
Crimea and Sevastopol adopted declarations of independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum on March 16, 2014, in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification deals March 18, 2014.
Work to integrate the Crimean Peninsula into Russia’s economic, financial, credit, legal, state power, military conscription and infrastructure systems has been actively underway since Crimea acceded to the Russian Federation.