Russia. Crimea. History. Nikolay Starikov

“only after the checking the case by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and receiving its conclusion regarding compliance with the constitutional procedure of the investigation and consideration of the case for the impeachment, and also receiving a conclusion of the Supreme Court of Ukraine that the acts, in which the President of Ukraine is being accused, carry the signs of high treason or other crimes”[95].

      One can immediately see, that nothing, which required by the Constitution has been done. It simply means – there were no impeachment. The procedure was not even initiated. Finally, during the voting in Rada (the voting itself already violated the Constitution) for the “dismissal of Yanukovich” were only 328 votes – compare with the Constitutional requirement of minimum 338. Thus, the law was broken for many times. It is high time to ask a question: whether it is possible to violate a Constitution in such a delicate matter as appointing of the head of a state? The answer is – NO. But if it is done (i. e. a Constitution is violated), it is means that the power, which emerged as a result of such a “procedure”, is illegal and not legitimate. This was exactly, what was said in Russia starting from the very first day of the coup in Kiev…

      • Crimea. 23 February 2014 in Sevastopol people refused to recognize the new self-proclaimed Ukrainian authorities. Tens of thousands people gathered at a rally and declared a distrust of the local administration. At the same time, the rally participants voted for a new city head – the citizen of Russian Federation Alexey Chaly. The new city authorities have formed a new executive body of the city administration – the Directorate for ensuring of the functioning of all vital municipal services of Sevastopol. Chaly has headed the Directorate[96].

      • Crimea. A meeting of Crimean Tatars, timed to the day of memory of “the well-known” Mufti Noman Çelebicihan, took place in Simferopol. Surely, in the course of it, the event has become a political one – and targeted to a support of a “new power”. The demonstrators carried flags of the European Union, Ukraine, old flags of Crimean Tatars, slogans like “The Future of Ukraine is in the family of the united nations of Europe”, “Euro-Maidan Crimea”. The participants repeatedly chanted “Glory to Ukraine! To heroes – fame!”[97] Almost at the same time as the Crimean Tatars were rallying, other Simferopol’s residents, who were not willing to live in a “new Ukraine” under the non-legitimate and nationalist power, began to organize squads of self-defense of Crimea.

      24 February 2014. The new Ukrainian authority got recognition from the side of the European Union and the USA.[98] Such “trifles” as the absence in the Constitution even a mentioning about such state position as “Acting President”, the total violation of the Constitutional procedure of the impeachment, were of no concern for the “legalists” from the “civilized world”. They do not care about the “trifles” – “their” people have committed the coup, therefore the new power was immediately recognized.

      25 February 2014. Crimea. People at a mass rally, which was held in front of the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea, demanded that the local government should hold a referendum, and thus decide what will be the future of the Peninsula. The main objective of this rally was to show to the Crimean Parliament (the Supreme Council) that the demonstrators have not accepted and have not recognized the new Kiev authority as their own one. “We do not accept this brown, pro-fascist plague, which is imposing their notions on us,” – said one Cossack ataman[99].

      25 February 2014. Crimea. Crimean self-defense forces have erected the first checkpoints around Sevastopol[100]. All this happened because of the growing understanding that the chaos could come very soon to the peninsula from Kiev, and it may result in a bloodshed. Mass protests began in Simferopol, the protesters refused to recognize the change of power in Ukraine, which occurred after the President Viktor Yanukovich fled from Kiev[101]. The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars organized a counter-rally of own supporters at the same place – in front of the Supreme Council of Crimea. The Tatar demonstration has fully supported the putsch in Kiev. These two actions at the same time and at the same place have resulted in a crush. About 20 people were injured nearby the Crimean parliament in scuffles, as the two rallies took place at the same time with opposite slogans[102]. Two people died – one as a result of crowding, another – from a heart attack[103]. Fortunately, it was the only one clash with an ethnic (or national) background. Other clashes of the same kind, which would be such desirable for Kiev authorities, were avoided.

      27 February 2014. Arseniy Yatsenyuk was appointed as a new Ukrainian Prime Minister; a Provisional Government was formed[104].

      • Crimea. At 4 o’clock in the morning unknown “Polite people” entered into the premises of the Supreme Council of Crimea. They ensured the security for the local deputies in holding plenary sessions. The story of the Crimean self-defense forces has begun[105]. The session of the Crimean Parliament has appointed a deputy of the Crimean Supreme Council, the leader of the “Russian unity” party Sergey Aksenov as a new Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea[106].

      • The same day Victor Yanukovich held a press conference in Rostov-on-Don. He claimed that the nationalist and pro-fascist thugs have seized the power in Ukraine, with the assistance and as a result of irresponsible policies of the West and the United States. He does not recognize the adopted by the Supreme Rada new laws – inasmuch as he has not signed them. He claimed that the Rada deputies are intimidated by the activists of the “Maidan self-defense” and militants of the “Right Sector”. Finally, he stated that the Supreme Rada is not legitimate anymore. Yanukovich also appealed to the Russian authorities to provide his personal security “from any extremists actions” – as long as he keeps on receiving personal threats[107].

      1 March 2014. President of Russia Vladimir Putin submitted to the Council of Federation an Appeal about the use of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine until the normalization of the social and political situation in the country[108]. The same day an emergency session of the upper house of the Russian Parliament unanimously supported this Presidential Appeal[109].

      3 March 2014. Crimea. The PR-department of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic Crimea issued a statement that the deputies of the Crimean parliament decided to hold the republican (local) referendum as a form of direct democracy – on the issue of amending the status and powers of the autonomy on 30 March 2014[110]. One more initiative came during this day – now from Sevastopol – about a change of the city’s legal status and about the administrative subordination of the city to the Crimean authorities directly[111].

      5 March 2014. Crimea. A Court of Kiev resolved to detain Sergey Aksenov and Vladimir Konstantinov, for whom a criminal case has opened according to the article “Actions aimed at violent change or overthrow the constitutional order or the seizure of state power”[112].

      6 March 2014. Crimea. The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea decided to join the Russian Federation as one of its subjects. It was resolved to hold a Referendum over the entire Crimean territory (including Sevastopol) – and not at the day of 30 March, but of 16 March – where to resolve the issue of the future status of the peninsula. The Referendum query presumed two possible answers:

      • “Do you support the reunification of the Crimea with Russia as

95

http://sevkrimrus.narod.ru/ZAKON/konstukr.htm (in Russian).

96

The Supreme Rada and the Council of Ministers of Crimea captured by an armed group. http://www.rosbalt.ru/ukraina/2014/02/27/1238223.html (in Russian).

97

In Simferopol, the Crimean Tatars held a rally. http://www.kianews.com.ua/news/v-simferopole-proshel-miting-krymskih-tatar (in Russian).

98

The EU recognized the new government in Kiev after the US. http://www.newsru.com/world/24feb2014/euroukra.html (in Russian).

99

The Protesters in front of the BP Crimea dispersed. http://15minut.org/article/mitingujuschie-pered-zdaniem-vr-kryma-razoshlis-poobeschali-zavtra-organizovat (in Russian).

100

Checkpoints are set up at the entrances to Sevastopol. http://podrobnosti.ua/podrobnosti/2014/02/26/961290.html (in Russian).

101

The Supreme Rada and the Council of Ministers of Crimea captured by an armed group. http://www.rosbalt.ru/ukraina/2014/02/27/1238223.html (in Russian).

102

N. Letov. Clashes between Crimean Tatars and Russian began in Simferopol. http://bk55.ru/news/article/29056 (in Russian).

103

The rally in Simferopol on 26 February. How it was. http://15minut.org/article/mitingi-v-simferopole-26-fevralja-kak-jeto-bylo-video-2014–02–27–02–18–21 (in Russian).

104

Arseniy Yatsenyuk became a new Prime Minister of Ukraine. http://lenta.ru/news/2014/02/27/yatsenuk/ (in Russian).

105

The Supreme Rada and the Council of Ministers of Crimea captured by an armed group. http://www.rosbalt.ru/ukraina/2014/02/27/1238223.html (in Russian).

106

Aksenov became the new prime minister of Crimea. http://forbes.ua/news/1366220-aksenov-stal-novym-premerom-kryma (in Russian).

107

Yanukovich: I am not going to appeal to Russia for military support. http://ria.ru/world/20140228/997567454.html (in Russian).

108

Putin submitted to the Council of Federation an Appeal about the use of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine. http://www.aif.ru/politics/russia/1116262 (in Russian).

109

The Council of Federation unanimously approved the use of troops in Ukraine. http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/849759/#ixzz32fHuA7kT (in Russian).

110

Crimean authorities: the development of the situation in Ukraine “poses a threat to peace and stability in Crimea”. http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/ 1017492 (in Russian).

111

Sevastopol wants to join the Crimea. http://tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201403031445-t1i8.htm (in Russian).

112

A. Chantseva. The court ordered the arrest of the Prime Minister of Crimea Aksenov. http://vm.ru/news/2014/03/06/sud-vines-postanovlenie-o-zaderzhanii-premera-krima-aksenova-238351.html (in Russian).