International Circassian Council
 | |
| Purpose | Advocate for the legal rights of Circassians, and the Independence of Circassia |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New Jersey |
Official language | Adyghe |
Chairman | Iyad Youghar |
| Affiliations | Congress of the Peoples of the North Caucasus |
The International Circassian Council (ICC) is a political organization that represents Circassian peoples across the world, and seeks an independent Circassia from Russia.
History
[edit]The ICC is based in New Jersey which has the highest concentration of Circassian diaspora in the United States.[1] The council promotes good relations with the governments of Israel and Georgia for their support of Circassian organizations, and the taking in of Circassian refugees.[1]
The ICC heavily protested the 2014 Winter Olympics due to its skiing event being held on Krasnaya Polyana, the site of a massacre of Circassians during the Circassian genocide.[2][3][4]
Iyad Youghar has served as the chairman of the ICC, speaking at the Estonian parliament in 2015 that the cause of Baltic independence is the same as Circassian independence.[5][6]
Russian authorities have been hostile to the ICC and the idea of a Circassian rebirth, claiming that a unified Circassian community does not exist in a political sense.[5]
The ICC is a member of the Congress of the Peoples of the North Caucasus with Iyad Youghar being elected the congress' chairman.[7] As a participant in the Congress, the council was a member of a meeting with the European Parliament about the future of the North Caucuses on 8 November 2023.[8] The congress advocates secession from Russia, with the ICC acting as their Circassian delegation to lead a prospective Independent Circassia.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ahmed, Akbar; Martin, Frankie. "Putin's challenge: The Circassians and the Winter Olympics". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Circassians Demand Russia Admit to Genocide in Sochi". Cultural Survival. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ Black, John M. "CIRCASSIAN PRIDE AND PAIN". International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Controversy and Concern Over the Sochi Olympics". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Estonian Parliament Meets With Circassian Activists". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ Dzutsati, Valery. "Estonian Parliament Meets With Circassian Activists". Jamestown foundation. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ Doukaev, Aslan. "Resurgent Dreams of Independence in the North Caucasus". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Event: The Future of the North Caucasus". European Conservatives and Reformists Group. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Congress of the Nations of the North Caucasus". justicefornorthcaucasus. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
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