40 Crimean Tatars kidnapped, 11 killed, 17 arrested, 64 kids orphaned: people protest in St. Petersburg in support of Crimean Tatars. PHOTOS

Residents of Russian city of St. Petersburg on Sunday, June 18, held one-person protests in support of Crimean Tatars, initiated by activists of Strategia-18 group.

The activists were holding Crimean Tatar national flags, as well as posters with the demand to stop persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea, namely Ilmi Umerov, Akhtem Chiygoz, Mustafa Degermendhzi, Ali Asanov, and others, Censor.NET reports citing Krym.Realii.

Read more: EU extends sanctions against Russia over occupied Crimea for 12 months



The first series of one-person protests in support of Crimean Tatars was held in St. Petersburg on Nov. 18, 2016, and in Moscow on Nov. 17, 2016. Subsequently, its activists united into an initiative group titled Strategia-18, named after May 18, 1944, when hundreds thousands of Crimean Tatars were deported from Crimea by Stalin's order.

On 18th day of each month, activists take to the city streets to tell about the situation in occupied Crimea and inform Russian society about violations on human rights on the peninsula.