The Crimean Human Rights Group was handed out the Human Rights Tulip by Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands. Moreover, the human rights organization was nominated for the Global Human Rights Tulip Award.
The Human Rights Tulip is an award of the Dutch Government initiated by the national Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2008 it has been annually awarded to human rights defenders and organizations advancing human rights globally. In addition, since 2018 the Dutch embassies in different countries have been handing out local awards to activists and human rights defenders protecting the human rights.
The award was handed out by Mr. Jennes de Mol, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, who thanked the CHRG for documenting and reporting the crimes of the occupation power in Crimea as well as responding on them, for highlighting the human rights violation in the occupied peninsula.
“Thanks for your activity the entire world can see political repressions, lack of any freedom of speech, militarization of children, displanting of everything Ukrainian and artificial replacement of indigenous population, oppression of religious minority rights, and mobilization of Crimeans to the Russian Army ranks. I do believe that rather soon you will return home, because Crimea is Ukraine. For our part, we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to make your dream a reality,” Jennes de Mol said.
A part of the CHRG team that were present at the ceremony – Ms. Olha Skrypnyk, Ms. Iryna Siedova, Mr. Vissarion Aseyev, Mr. Volodymyr Chekryhin, Ms. Iryna Hudym, Mr. Bohdan Melnykovych, Ms. Anastasiya Chubukova – expressed the Ambassador a gratitude for a years-long consistent support of the human rights movement in Ukraine and military assistance to Ukraine after the beginning of the Russian Federation full-scale invasion. Starting her speech, Ms. Skrypnyk thanked the Armed Forces of Ukraine and all the Defense Forces for the protection of the citizens of Ukraine, independence, and freedom, and asked for observing a moment of silence for all fallen defenders of Ukraine and all children, women and men killed by Russia.
“For our team, the Dutch Embassy Tulip Award is a recognition of the role and contribution of all human rights defenders, the men and the women. It is also an opportunity for us to reward everyone who, despite the risks and dangers, is documenting violations of human rights in Crimea and all occupied territories, is resisting, and making the day of raising the flag of Ukraine and restoring justice closer. Our field work would be impossible without our people, who, living in the occupation, help us to collect evidence of Russian crimes. The trust of the families of political prisoners, Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian families, who are fighting together with us for their release, is priceless for us,” Ms. Skrypnyk emphasized.
The human rights defender noted that Ms. Olena Lysenko (Batrakova), whose heart stopped beating in 2021 due to COVID-caused complications, should have been among the team members. Olena devoted all her time to helping political prisoners and their families. Among the friends here, the CHRG Head dreams of seeing Maksym Butkevych, a human rights defender, kept in Russian captivity since the summer of 2022. He has helped hundreds and hundreds of people, and the CHRG team, together with the colleagues, will make every effort to release Maksym and all prisoners of war and civilian hostages.
The Crimean Human Rights Group was congratulated on the award by Mr. Mustafa Dzhemiliev, Leader of Crimean Tatar People, Ms. Emine Dzheparova, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ihor Ponochovnyy, Prosecutor for AR of Crimea and City of Sevastopol, colleagues in the human rights defence sphere, journalists, and other embassies.
