"I am counting on him": Zelenskyy handed over to Erdogan an updated list of Crimean Tatars captured by the Russians

During a visit to Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy handed over to Turkish president Recep Erdogan an updated list of names of Crimean Tatars held captive by the aggressor country Russia. He noted that the list is constantly growing.

At a joint briefing with Erdogan on Friday, March 8, Zelenskyy said that he expects Erdogan to help ensure that the prisoners return home. The video of the press conference was posted on the official Facebook page of the Office of the President.

The Head of State added that so far no one has been able to return the Crimean Tatars from the captivity of the occupying Russian troops.

"I arrived today with an updated list. It is painful that it is updated and that there are more of them on the list. Unfortunately, they are not returning home. Here I am counting on President Erdogan. I am sure that he will be able to do this, at least he will try," Zelenskyy said.

Before the full-scale invasion, our country managed to return only a few people. However, most remain in captivity.

According to the president, this list includes Crimean Tatars who have been repressed and held in prisons by Russia. In particular, it is about Nariman Dzhelal, Server Mustafayev, Lenia Umerova.

"All of them must be released: both soldiers and civilians. Both those who were captured while defending their people and those who are subjected to Russian repression only because of who he or she is: Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, everyone," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Earlier, it became known that political prisoners from the temporarily occupied Crimea are being transferred by the terrorist state of Russia to Bashkortostan, the North Caucasus, the Urals, Chelyabinsk Oblast and Krasnodar Krai. This is a significant violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law.

As reported, on January 1, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev addressed the Russian citizens who illegally moved to the Crimea temporarily occupied by Russian troops. He called on them to leave the Ukrainian peninsula while the Kerch Bridge is still functioning.

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