"Not only about Ukraine". Akhtem Seitablayev told what the occupiers forbid Crimeans to talk about

A well-known director of Crimean Tatar origin Akhtem Seitablayev, who spent his youth in Crimea, told about the current situation there. The artist's parents, who recently passed away, lived on the temporarily occupied peninsula for a long time.

"From what I know, the atmosphere there is such that not only is it forbidden to mention Ukraine, but in general, you have to keep your discontent to yourself if you don't want to end up in a pre-trial detention center," says Akhtem Seitablayev, "and if it is also known about you that you do not support the so-called return of Crimea to its native harbor, even more so.

"This is also evidenced by the number of arrests that take place almost every day, mostly among Crimean Tatars because it is well known that the vast majority of them do not accept this occupation and consider and feel themselves to be citizens of Ukraine," the director added.

The director also recalled how Crimean Tatars once returned to their native Crimea after a long deportation. According to him, no one was waiting for them with open arms: "They did not want to settle Crimean Tatars, did not hire them – this is a separate story. But when people unite, and support each other, of course, everything works out for them. A people that has been under the threat of extermination for many years must stick together if they want to survive. This is part of their DNA. Now it's hard for me to speak for everyone, because I'm not in Crimea, but I hope that this is still the case."

"At the time of the active return of Crimean Tatars to their historical homeland, you could see pictures like this," Seitablayev recalls. "You're driving down the road, you see a car with license plates from Central Asia or Krasnodar Krai, where many Crimean Tatars also lived. By default, you stop and get acquainted. How are you? Do you have a place to live? If not, you take them to your place. You advise on houses that can be bought because it was a problem."

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