Mustafa Abdulcemil Kirimoglu

Jemilev was born in Crimea on 13 November 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 (see Surgun for details). 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, Jemilev was arrested six times for anti-Soviet activities and served time in Soviet prisons and labor camps, or lived under surveillance. Jemilev is also remembered for going on the longest hunger strike in the history of human rights movement. 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 Jemilev the Nansen Medal for his outstanding efforts and "his commitment to the right of return of the Crimean Tatars." The Nansen Medal is given annually to recognize exceptional service to the betterment of refugees. In an interview Jemilev 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. Jemilev's commitment to non-violence deserves our utmost respect and admiration.

For more information about Mustafa Jemilev and related links to his interviews and writings, see the Web site of the International Committee for Crimea.

See also