Ukrainian flag removed from Crimean Tatar assembly

SIMFEROPOL, Crimea

A group with unmarked military uniforms removed a Ukrainian flag with force and replaced it with a Crimean one in the Crimean Tatar assembly building Monday.

Lilya Muslimova, Press Secretary of the Crimean Tatar assembly (the Mejlis), said that those with military uniforms were brought to the building by bus with a Russian flag and she said that she was threatened by the military group.

The director general of the Crimea Foundation, Riza Sevkiyev, said that the military group used force against some Crimean Tatar women and said the group's aim was to remove the flag. 

After the military forces left,  the Crimean Tatars removed the Crimean flag and put up the Crimean Tatars' flag.

The Ukrainian flag was also removed on another occasion from the building after the March 16th referendum, but was erected again on March 19th after Mustafa Abdulcemil Kirimoglu,  Ukrainian MP came to Crimea. 

Crimea has unilaterally decided through a controversial referendum to leave Ukraine and join Russia, but the indigenous Tatar population oppose this decision.

The annexation of Crimea by Russia is opposed also by Western powers, which accuse Moscow of violating international law.

englishnews@aa.com.tr