Crimean Tatars bemoan their plight as Ukraine hosts summit

Russia's annexation of of Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula in 2014 evoked tragic memories for Crimean Tatars

KYIV, Ukraine -- Erfan Kudusov fled Crimea with his wife and four children after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula in 2014, along with many other Crimean Tatars who resented Moscow’s rule. For Kudusov and others in Crimea, the Russian takeover evoked tragic family memories of the 1944 mass deportation of Crimean Tatars on Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s order, raising fears of discrimination and persecution. Their fears have materialized. A few friends of Kudusov who stayed in Crimea have since been convicted on charges of extremism, separatism and membership in banned organizations and have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 19 years.