The decree for the restoration of minorities, such as Armenians, Greeks, Germans and Tartars, who had suffered in the days of Stalin, was announced as signed by the Russian president , Vladimir Putin, when speaking at a meeting of the State Council.

“I signed a decree to restore the Crimean Tartar population, the Armenian population, Germans, Greeks – all those who suffered under Stalin’s persecution”, stated Putin.

The members of the powerful Tartar muslim minority, numbering 300000, making up about 15% of the Crimean people, had disagreed with the annexation by Russia last month.

The restoration had already been announced by Putin in a statement on March 18th.