Mustafa Abdülcemil Qirimoglu
Encyclopedia
Mustafa Abdülcemil Qırımoğlu (Cemilev) (born November 13, 1943 Ay-Serez, Crimea
), also known as Mustafa Jemilev (Dzhemilev, Cemilev), is Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People
and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament
since 1998. He is a recognized leader of the Crimean Tatar National Movement and a former Soviet
dissident
.
, then Russian SFSR, on November 13, 1943. He was only six months old when his family, with the rest of the Crimean Tatar
population, was deported by Soviet authorities in May 1944. He grew up in exile, in Uzbekistan
. At the age of 18, he and several of his activist friends established the Union of Young Crimean Tatars. He thus began the arduous and long struggle for the recognition of the rights of Crimean Tatars to return to their homeland. Between 1966 and 1986, Cemilev was arrested six times for anti-Soviet activities and served time in Soviet prisons and labor camps, or lived under surveillance
. Cemilev is also remembered for going on the longest hunger strike
in the history of human rights
movements. The hunger strike lasted for 303 days, but he survived due to forced feeding.
In May 1989, he was elected to head the newly founded Crimean Tatar National Movement. The same year he returned to Crimea with his family, a move that would be followed by the eventual return of 250,000 Tatars to their homeland. In October 1998, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
awarded Cemilev the Nansen Medal for his outstanding efforts and "his commitment to the right of return of the Crimean Tatars." In an interview Cemilev gave shortly after receiving the Nansen Medal, he emphasized that "when violent means are used, innocent people die, and no just cause can justify the taking of innocent lives." The Crimean Tatar National Movement has been marked by persistent reliance on non-violence. During the Ukrainian parliamentary election, 1998
he was elected into the Ukrainian parliament on the Rukh
list; in 2002
, 2006
and 2007
he was re-elected as a member of Our Ukraine.
Interior Minister
Yuriy Lutsenko
stated in October 2009 that a grouping related to Taliban and Al-Qaeda
called "At-Takfir val-Hijra" had been preparing an attempt on Cemilev's life; two members of the group were arrested.
Early November 2011 Cemilev announced his retirement of politics.
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
), also known as Mustafa Jemilev (Dzhemilev, Cemilev), is Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People
The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People is the central executive body of the Kurultai of Crimean Tatars, living in their homeland of Crimea, Ukraine...
and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
since 1998. He is a recognized leader of the Crimean Tatar National Movement and a former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
.
Biography
Cemilev was born in CrimeaCrimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, then Russian SFSR, on November 13, 1943. He was only six months old when his family, with the rest of the Crimean Tatar
Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
population, was deported by Soviet authorities in May 1944. He grew up in exile, in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. At the age of 18, he and several of his activist friends established the Union of Young Crimean Tatars. He thus began the arduous and long struggle for the recognition of the rights of Crimean Tatars to return to their homeland. Between 1966 and 1986, Cemilev was arrested six times for anti-Soviet activities and served time in Soviet prisons and labor camps, or lived under surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
. Cemilev is also remembered for going on the longest hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in the history of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
movements. The hunger strike lasted for 303 days, but he survived due to forced feeding.
In May 1989, he was elected to head the newly founded Crimean Tatar National Movement. The same year he returned to Crimea with his family, a move that would be followed by the eventual return of 250,000 Tatars to their homeland. In October 1998, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
awarded Cemilev the Nansen Medal for his outstanding efforts and "his commitment to the right of return of the Crimean Tatars." In an interview Cemilev gave shortly after receiving the Nansen Medal, he emphasized that "when violent means are used, innocent people die, and no just cause can justify the taking of innocent lives." The Crimean Tatar National Movement has been marked by persistent reliance on non-violence. During the Ukrainian parliamentary election, 1998
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 1998
The second Ukrainian parliamentary election after the collapse of the Soviet Union took place on 29 March 1998. In comparison to the first parliamentary election, this time half of 450 parliament seats were filled by single-seat majority winners in 225 electoral regions , and the other half were...
he was elected into the Ukrainian parliament on the Rukh
People's Movement of Ukraine
The People's Movement of Ukraine is a Ukrainian center-right political party...
list; in 2002
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002
Ukrainian parliamentary election of 2002 took place on March 31. Half of the deputies to Verkhovna Rada were elected on proportional basis, while the other half were elected by popular vote in single-mandate constituencies...
, 2006
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006
The Ukrainian parliamentary election took place on March 26, 2006. Election campaigning officially began on July 7, 2005. Between November 26 and December 31, 2005 party lists of candidates were formed....
and 2007
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002
Ukrainian parliamentary election of 2002 took place on March 31. Half of the deputies to Verkhovna Rada were elected on proportional basis, while the other half were elected by popular vote in single-mandate constituencies...
he was re-elected as a member of Our Ukraine.
Interior Minister
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is the main body in the system of central bodies of exeecutive power that provides formation and realization of the state policy in the sphere of protection the rights and liberties of citizens, unlawful acts against the interest of society and state,...
Yuriy Lutsenko
Yuriy Lutsenko
Yuriy Vitaliyovych Lutsenko is a Ukrainian politician and statesman and former Minister of Internal Affairs, he occupied this post in the two Cabinets of Yulia Tymoshenko and in Cabinets of Yuriy Yekhanurov, and Viktor Yanukovych...
stated in October 2009 that a grouping related to Taliban and Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
called "At-Takfir val-Hijra" had been preparing an attempt on Cemilev's life; two members of the group were arrested.
Early November 2011 Cemilev announced his retirement of politics.