Crimean Tatar activists' arrest extended

The Kiev District Court in Simferopol extended the arrest of Crimean Tatar citizen journalists Rustem Osmanov and Aziz Azizov, as well as activists Memet Lyumanov and Mustafa Abduramanov until November 4.

The defense stated that there was no basis for such a preventive measure. The prosecution "fears that the prisoners may influence witnesses and hide from the investigation," which is not supported by evidence. In addition, the court prohibited the prisoners' relatives from attending the hearings.

Criminal cases were opened against Crimean Tatars for participating in the political party "Hizb ut-Tahrir." It is recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, but at the same time it legally operates in Ukraine, Europe and the world.

Their homes in the Bakhchisaray and Dzhankoy districts of Crimea were searched in early March. Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov said that evidence of the activists’ involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir was an audio recording of a conversation in a mosque from 2015. “All these years, these people were not prosecuted and did not pose any danger to society,” he emphasized.