Circassians Eligible to Restore Legitimate Rights [Updated] [1]

[Updated] and republished by: Adel Bashqawi, February 18, 2025

Originally published by: Eagle, 10 November 2010

Circassia [2] has been officially occupied and colonized by the Russian state since May 21, 1864, when Russia declared that Circassia had officially lost the war against the Russian occupying forces. This full-scale occupation inflicted killings and destruction with no pity or mercy. Over the past decades, Russia has dragged its feet in addressing Circassian issues, showing no sign of offering a solution. The Circassian homeland today hosts only 10% of the world’s Circassian population, remaining divided and fragmented. [3] A part of it includes [4] three Circassian republics alongside other minority groups, as well as inhabitants of various origins, such as Russians and Cossacks—brought by the colonizers to replace the Circassians, who were massacred, displaced, or deported.

[Updated] Despite the legitimate efforts made by the Circassians and dozens of other captive peoples and nations to restore their rights, all serious attempts have fallen on deaf ears. The rogue Russian state has condemned itself, proving to be a brute colonial power. The illegal and illegitimate occupation and annexation of Circassia, along with numerous other nations in the Caucasus and beyond, have demonstrated Russia’s imperial intransigence and stubbornness. Russia has repeatedly refused to return the legitimate rights to their original owners—rights that would grant them freedom and the ability to exercise self-determination leading to independence, ultimately ending colonialism once and for all. Instead, the aspirations of these peoples, which are protected by international law with no statute of limitations, have faced relentless opposition.

[Updated] These rights are non-negotiable and cannot be overlooked, conceded, or misinterpreted. The modern Russian Federation continues to mimic the imperial behaviors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the Russian Empire invaded numerous peoples and nations. Imperial and colonial ambitions from those centuries have neither ceased to exist nor diminished in intensity, particularly in recent years.

[Updated] However, due to the expansion of artificial intelligence, communications, and social media, as well as the evolution of modern combat strategies, the global landscape has changed. Since February 2014, the world has witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the occupation and annexation of Crimea. “On 27 February, Russian armed forces without insignias seized the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea [5] and the building of the Council of Ministers in Simferopol.” On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to occupy and annex as much territory as possible. “On 24 February 2022, in an early morning address on Russian state television, President Putin announced that Russian forces would carry out {a special military operation} in Ukraine.” [6]

Russian corruption [7] is intrinsically linked to its occupation of Circassian and North Caucasus lands. This includes the involvement of puppet regimes and both overt and covert KGB/FSB agents, spies, and propaganda networks. Russia’s corruption was also evident in the controversial decision by the International Olympic Committee to host the Sochi Winter Olympic Games on the very site of the Circassian genocide, in what was once the last Circassian capital city.

The world media, particularly in the West, is urged to be fair in acknowledging the atrocities that the Circassians suffered. [8] The Russian imperial army used mercenaries and criminals to storm Circassia, inflicting genocide, destroying villages, robbing and burning properties, and altering the demographic landscape. Place names and landmarks were erased, and even the name “Circassia” was wiped from maps. As a result, 90% of Circassians were deported and now live in more than 30 countries worldwide.

No Circassian would take pride in Putin’s actions, including his suppression of dissent and the silencing of journalists and human rights activists in Circassian lands, [9] the North Caucasus, and across Russia. [10] The Council of Europe declared on May 31, 2010, in Strasbourg that human rights violations in the North Caucasus represented the most serious situation within its jurisdiction. [11] Circassians are particularly alarmed by the Russian Secret Services’ attempts to infiltrate Circassian diaspora communities with propaganda and incitement campaigns aimed at spreading toxic misinformation.

[Updated] Circassians and other nations occupied by Russia [12] have no interest in Russia’s expansionist ambitions, whether in Antarctica, Moldova, Ukraine, Central Asia, or elsewhere. These people seek to reclaim their freedom and exercise their legitimate right to self-determination, which would inevitably lead to national independence. Those unfamiliar with the value of freedom cannot understand the significance of this struggle. If Russia needed land, it would not have sold Alaska to the United States for a mere 7.2 million dollars.

Russia’s longstanding strategy [13] has been to occupy foreign lands indefinitely, to ignore human rights issues, [14] and suppress freedom of speech—all while pretending to be a modern and civilized state. However, actions speak louder than words.

Circassians have waited more than 145 years for a resolution to the Circassian Question. In recent decades, they have sought the right to return peacefully to their homeland, only to face deception and mistreatment by Russian authorities. [15] Those who attempted to return were often robbed, harassed, deported, or even killed—such as in the case of Haci Bayram Bolat. [16] He was deported while wearing only pajamas and slippers, and after winning his case in court and returning to his homeland, he was expelled once again. [17]

Unfortunately, the Circassian nation, both in the homeland and in the diaspora, is plagued by collaborationist organizations and individuals [18] who work to divide Circassians instead of uniting their efforts.

It is unlikely that Circassians will return home under the flag of their occupiers. Their return must be facilitated through an international plan that ensures their safety and protects their indigenous rights, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [19]

Circassians believe in civilized, nonviolent means to achieve their goals. They demand the restoration of their basic and legitimate rights in their homeland, recognition of the Circassian genocide by Russia, adherence to international law, [20] and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [21] Furthermore, Russia must implement the recommendations of the United Nations Commission on Decolonization, as there is only one rightful course of action: restoring Circassian rights.

[Updated] The Right to Self-Determination [22] affirms the demand for freedom and independence, as recognized by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. [23] This aligns with the ongoing International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism, [24] now in its Fourth International Decade (2021–2030).

[Updated] Conclusion

[Updated] To conclude, it’s worth mentioning a proverb that dates back to an unknown author and is published by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — the United Nations: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Eagle
10 November 2010

Justice For North Caucasus Group

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References

[1] https://www.justicefornorthcaucasus.com/jfnc_message_boards/imperialism.php?entry_id=1289389498&title=circassians-eligible-to-restore-legitimate-rights

[2] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251682649

[3] https://jamestown.org/program/another-step-toward-the-realization-of-the-circassian-miracle/

[4] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251683514

[5] https://www.history.co.uk/articles/putin-s-gamble-russia-s-2014-invasion-of-crimea

[6] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9847/CBP-9847.pdf

[7] http://www.theotherrussia.org/2010/04/23/pamfilova-kremlin-enables-endemic-corruption-in-north-caucasus/

[8] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251678620