Crimean Tatar Repression Dataset

Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea marked the onset of a systematic repression campaign against the indigenous Crimean Tatar minority on the peninsula. CriTaRep (version 1) introduces the first comprehensive, geo-coded event dataset documenting state repression against Crimean Tatars from 2014 to 2024. The dataset fills critical gaps in existing repression and human rights datasets, providing a new empirical foundation for studying state repression against minority groups.

The dataset provides detailed information on almost 700 repression events targeting more than 2,000 individuals, including the exact location and date of each repression event. Each record includes a detailed textual description of the repression event, numerical variables capturing the type and severity of repression, the category of victims, as well as the specific actors responsible. CriTaRep differentiates between 22 repression types across three analytical categories:

• Deprivation of liberty
• Legal and administrative repression
• Physical repression

You can explore the data on an interactive map here.

• Our data show a persistently high level of repression throughout the post-annexation period, with arbitrary searches being the single most common tactic.
• The repression campaign largely follows a “repression calendar”, shaped by bureaucratic routines and strategic timing to maximize the psychological impact of coercive measures.
• Civilians constitute the largest victim group. Over time, targeting shifted from highly violent repression against elites to a broader repertoire of repression against the wider Crimean Tatar population.
• Resistance activities correlate with short-term repression frequency. Russian authorities respond swiftly to protests by Crimean Tatars.

• Read more in our working paper here.

• Read more in our blog post here.

• Download the dataset here.

• Please cite both the following paper and the dataset if you use CriTaRep: