"Sentence for the whole people"

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced to eight years in prison the deputy chairman of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people Akhtem Chiygoz on charges of organizing riots on February 26, 2014. On that day, at the building of the Legislative Assembly of Simferopol there were clashes between supporters and opponents of Euromaidan, two people were killed, dozens were injured.

The trial of one of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar people Akhtem Chiygoz lasted more than a year. In the Supreme Court of Crimea, the first hearings began at the end of July 2016, since then 154 meetings took place. Chiygoz himself has been under arrest from January 30, 2015, throughout the process he participated in the hearing on the video from the investigative insulator in Simferopol. He also listened to the verdict there.

Akhtem Chiygoz was held accountable as the organizer of the riots on February 26, 2014 during a rally near the building of the Crimean parliament. He did not plead guilty, but speaking with the last word , he said that the events on February 26 were provoked by "persons who later contributed to the military occupation of Crimea."

Here is a fragment of the last word of Akhtem Chiygoz , which he uttered in court on August 9, 2017:

Akhtem Chiygoz

“For more than two years, a political process has been going on, which has already entered history as a“ February 26 case. ”The process, of course, is to intimidate the Crimean Tatars, to strangle and minimize their activity to protect their rights, the support of Ukraine and the world community that did not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea.

I am destined to accept this sentence as a sentence for the entire Crimean Tatar people

For everyone, it is obvious that there is no criminal case against Akhtem Chiygoz. The incidents, which took place on February 26, 2014 at a peaceful rally declared by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, were provoked by persons who later contributed to the military occupation of Crimea. That is, they are not judged by those who betrayed, who had goals and intentions aimed at changing the territorial integrity of Ukraine, who subsequently abducted and killed people, illegally endowed themselves with the powers to manage and judge. They are judged by those who defended the laws of the country, international norms, rules. I am destined to accept this sentence as a sentence for the entire Crimean Tatar people-on behalf of the Russian Federation, who occupied my homeland. "

Representatives of the prosecutor's office asked for Akhtem Chiygoz 8 years in prison, the court completely agreed with the position of the prosecutor's office.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has already reacted to the verdict:

"The case of Akhtem Chiygoz - the next sentence of Russia, which is at the highest international level - the UN - is recognized as an invaluate. You can illegally limit freedom, but will never break the will and truth! You can occupy someone else's land, but it will burn underfoot."

According to lawyer Akhtem Chiygoz Nikolai Polozov , on September 11, the court read out only the introductory and resolution of the sentence, the full text of the decision will receive the defense on September 14. Nikolai Polozov intends to appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court of Russia. He also did not rule out that his client could extradite to Ukraine - the court recognized him as a citizen of this particular country, and not Russia.

Nikolay Polozov (in the center)

“The court decision is absolutely illegal,” says Nikolai Polozov. - In fact, Akhtem Chiygoz was convicted of the events that occurred in Ukraine. What does Russian justice have to do with these events is a big question that the court has not given any answer. In addition, we still have not seen a sentence. The court announced the verdict only in terms of introductory-response. And directly the motivating part, why the court came to such conclusions, will be ready only on September 14. We do not even know on what grounds the court made such a decision. I see a positive fact in this verdict that Akhtem Chiygoz was recognized as a citizen of Ukraine. This means that there are not even formal obstacles for its issuance to Ukraine as a citizen of this country. Unlike other Crimean affairs, where the Russian authorities referred to the automatic obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation by the inhabitants of the Crimea, the Russian government in relation to Akhtem Chiygoz did not use this trick for some reason. And despite the fact that earlier, in court decisions on the extension of the preventive measure, two citizenships were indicated (the Russian Federation and Ukraine), nevertheless, apparently, the Russian authorities decided to recognize Akhtem Chiygz as a citizen of Ukraine, which opens up additional opportunities for his extraction to his homeland.

He adequately perceived this sentence. It will not break him

- What is needed for his extradition?

- Of course, a request from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is needed. In this direction, work will be carried out. In addition, we will appeal this sentence. In the near future we will file a brief appeal. After we get the full text of the sentence and receive a protocol for familiarization, we will already be able to prepare an appropriate addition to the appeal to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. But as for the terms of consideration of the appeal, I do not think that it will be very fast, given the volume of the case. This can all drag out until next year.

- In what situation was the current decision made? How many people have come to support Akhtem Chiygoz?

- Hundreds of people came to support him. Apparently, predicting this, the Russian authorities took unprecedented measures - they caught up with a huge number of police officers, blocked the streets that lead towards the court. And directly the site was numb by the police and fences. The framework of metal detectors were exhibited. In general, let's say, the authorities were preparing for something. But people gathered peacefully. They were unhappy with this sentence. Many, of course, understood that this was an absolutely illegal sentence, but at the same time I did not observe any skirmishes with the police.

The action in support of Akhtem Chiygoz near the Supreme Court of Crimea, September 11, 2017:

- How did Akhtem Chiygoz take a court decision? What does he think about this?

- Of course, he does not recognize this court decision. It must be understood that he is a very strong -willed, courageous person. He adequately perceived this sentence. In any case, he continues his struggle. This will not break him. Together with him, I, of course, will also continue to fight for his liberation.

-You have repeatedly said that this process and this sentence are a sentence to the entire Crimean-Tatar people. Why do you think so?

- These are not my words. These are the words of Akhtem Chiygoz. First of all, this is the verdict to all the people, since not the ordinary Crimean Tatar, but the chairman of the Mejlis, the chairman of the Bakhchisarai regional Majlis, the leader of the Crimean Tatars, was elected to the role of the victim in this trial. There is a second case against Ilmi Umarov , the Russian authorities are trying to break the resistance of the Crimean Tatar people of the occupation, showing that if we can break your leaders, then we will also break all one by one. But so far this strategy of the Russian government in Crimea does not lead to some expected results. Crimean Tatars continue to peacefully, non -violently resist the occupation and fight for their freedom.

- If we talk about the actual side of this case, which was brought in court by the prosecution in support of their point of view? How was this trial built?

- As for the trial, in fact, the process is based on two types of evidence - these are the testimony of victims, witnesses of the prosecution, witnesses of protection and material evidence, video. We examined in detail more than a thousand photographs, more than 300 videos lasting several tens of hours, and for any material evidence we have not found any actions of Akhtem Chiygoz, which can be qualified as appeals, organization, participation in riots. There was none of this. On the contrary, we saw personnel where he reassured people whose opponents, pro -Russian protesters, provoked to a response. As for the testimony, 213 defendants were interrogated during the process, including Sergey Aksenov ( then head of Crimea. - Approx. RS ), Vladimir Konstantinov ( chairman of the State Council of Crimea. - Approx. RS ) and former deputy chairman of the Medzhlis Zaur Smirnov, who is now an active collaborator and others.

He reassured people whose opponents, pro -Russian protesters, provoked to a response

The participants in those events were also interrogated. Of the 213 people, the prosecution is on the testimony of four. Three are classified witnesses. We do not know what kind of people are. Two of them claimed that they heard the allegedly on the eve of the event, Refat Chubarov gave Akhtem Chiygoz an instruction to call the regional Mejlis and gather people. However, they do not know whether he did it or not. Another classified witness claimed that he allegedly heard Akhtem Chiygoz called on February 26 to some kind of violent action. And there are testimonies of one real witness, Aivaza Umarov, who said that Akhtem Chiygoz called for violent actions for two hours, being in the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. However, Umarov is known for the fact that he is an antagonist of the Mejlis, hates Mejlis and Mustafa Dzhemilev. He came with a clear goal - to stipulate Akhtem Chiygoz. In addition, no one saw him on this day. He did not hit the video, nor in the photo. None of the witnesses said that he saw this man on this day. At the testimony of these four defendants (three classified and one real), the charge is based. The remaining 209 people either did not say anything against Akhtem Chiygoz, and, including Aksenov, Konstantinov, or dozens of people said that they saw Akhtem Chiygoz on this day, but he did not commit any illegal actions. It is quite obvious that the verdict was issued absolutely for political reasons without the actual side of this case.

A rally in Simferopol February 26, 2014:

Your browser does not support HTML5

Rally in Simferopol on February 26

- Nikolai, did you have an understanding of why things against the Crimean Tatars are continuing against the Crimeans , despite the fact that political dividends from the annexation of Crimea are no longer so high?

- The flywheel of repression is already promoted. And it is very difficult to stop it. Many security officials who came from the Russian continent to the Crimea consider this as a training ground for new positions, new titles, and awards. Therefore, in my opinion, this repressive machine will still continue to work, will suck into more and more new destinies. I am afraid that this process is unlikely to stop before the de -captain of Crimea, ”concludes Nikolai Polozov.

This repressive machine will still continue to work, this process is unlikely to stop before the de -captain of the Crimea

On February 26, 2014, a large -scale rally of opponents and supporters of the Crimean branch from Russia took place before the Crimean Parliament building. Among the first were the Crimean Tatars, representatives of the Mejlis and pro -Ukrainian activists, they were opposed by pro -Russian activists, who were organized by the leaders of the "Russian unity" led by Sergey Aksenov, who now heads the republic. Due to the crush, two protesters died, 79 people, according to the investigation, received bodily injuries, and a criminal case was instituted. According to the prosecution, on February 26, 2014, unidentified persons began to “call on the present persons of the Crimean Tatar nationality to the non-notification of the legal requirements of government representatives, to the use of violence,” which led to the “emergence of mass riots accompanied by the violence against representatives of the Russian Unity and Self-Defense of the Republic of Crimea, damage and destruction of property.” Processing the calls of their leaders, the Crimean Tatars applied force to representatives of "Russian unity", and also damaged property in the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea in the amount of over 600 thousand rubles.

In the "case of February 26", four more participants in the action are in the dock, they are accused of participating in the riots. The trial of them is still ongoing.

In 2016, the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people in Russia was recognized as an extremist organization and prohibited. Its chairman Refat Chubarov and the former head of Mustafa Dzhemilev is prohibited from entering Russia.