Rustem Kyamilev
Rustem Kyamilev is a Crimean Tartar human rights defenders and defense lawyer. Since the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, he has been actively involved with the Crimean Solidarity Movement, defending the rights of Crimean Tatars – an ethnic minority group who gave become a major target of persecution for the authorities alongside civil society activists and journalists.
Before the escalation of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation, the key concerns regarding the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Ukraine were characterised mainly by systemic impediments to the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and personal liberty. In many cases, HRDs were subjected to intimidation, harassment, and attacks, while violence against journalists was tolerated by the authorities. The situation was exacerbated by pervasive corruption in all branches of government and limitations on workers’ rights to strike.
