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Vandals Deface Numerous Crimean Tatar Sites

11.04.2008, [16:25] // Conflict //

Crimea— Unidentified persons vandalized a mosque and left graffiti insulting the Crimean Tatars in several neighborhoods of the town of Bilohorsk in southern Ukrainian Crimea. A Muslim cemetery was also vandalized in the village of Chystenke near Simferopol. obkom.net.ua posted the news on 11 April 2008.

On 9 April the head of the Bilohorsk Muslim community discovered an inscription “Crimea for Russians. Tatars, go away” on the fence of the town’s central mosque.

According to local residents of Bilohorsk, similar inscriptions were discovered on town fences and walls. The content, style and color of the inscriptions is identical to ones discovered last week in Simferopol.

A police investigation of the incidents is being conducted.

In addition, Lilia Muslimova, press-secretary of the Mejlis (governing structure) of the Crimean Tatar people, reported on 11 April that acts of vandalism were committed at a Muslim cemetery in Chystenke. According to preliminary information, approximately 40 graves have been ruined. The vandals also left an inscription “Tatars, away from Crimea” and drew a hangman’s rope on the cemetery fence, but ignored the Christian cemetery next to the Muslim one.

According to obkom.net.ua, 300 persons, including residents, police, security service representatives, and the Crimean Parliament’s deputies of the Qurultay-Rukh faction have now gathered at the cemetery.
Sources:

• http://obkom.net.ua/news/2008-04-11/1120.shtml