Netherlands Recognizes 1944 Crimean Tatar Deportation as Genocide, Citing Russia’s Continued Repression
The Dutch House of Representatives has officially recognized the Soviet-orchestrated deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944 as an act of genocide – a historic resolution that links past atrocities to Russia’s current repressive policies in occupied Crimea.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the resolution, adopted on June 18 and published on the Dutch Parliament’s website the following day.
The document states that “thousands of Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported by the Soviet regime” and that since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, “many have been unjustly imprisoned, tortured, or forcibly disappeared under Russian rule.”
It concludes that the Kremlin has “likely continued a policy of genocide” against the indigenous population of the peninsula.
Ukrainian officials have hailed the decision as both morally significant and geopolitically timely.
“This is a powerful act of solidarity with the people who continue to suffer under occupation,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “Recognition of historical crimes is not only about justice – it is a safeguard against future atrocities.”
Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, praised the Netherlands for becoming the eighth country to recognize the 1944 deportation as genocide, joining Ukraine, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Czechia.
Chubarov also emphasized the role of Ukraine’s parliament and diplomatic corps, who have persistently advocated for international recognition.
Historians estimate that nearly 200,000 Crimean Tatars, mostly women, children, and the elderly, were forced into exile in Central Asia under Joseph Stalin’s orders.
Nearly half are believed to have died from starvation, disease, and exhaustion during or shortly after the journey.
Read more on The Gaze: Why Russia Did and Does Persecute Crimean Tatars: Past Meets Present