In Crimea, the case of storing ammunition against a Crimean Tatar activist was closed

The Investigative Committee stopped the criminal prosecution of Ismail Ramazanov, a resident of Crimea, under the article on the illegal acquisition and storage of ammunition (Article 222 of the Criminal Code). However, another case remains against him, for statements “inciting hatred” through the Zello Internet walkie-talkie (Article 282 of the Criminal Code).

Recall that he was accused of storing ammunition after the searches on January 23 in the case of extremism: 24 cartridges were found in his bag, but Ramazanov immediately stated that the ammunition did not belong to him and was planted by law enforcement officers.

Aleksey Ladin, a lawyer for the Agora association, representing the interests of Ramazanov, filed a petition demanding to find out the identity of the batch of cartridges before they appeared in the client's house. The investigation sent a request, but did not report the results to the defense.

It is only known that 23 cartridges were made at one factory, and one cartridge - at another. The defense was refused to carry out fingerprint and biological examinations in order to find traces of Ramazanov or the FSB officers who conducted the search on the cartridges. In addition, in the conclusion of the ballistic examination, carried out at the initiative of the investigation, it is stated that "access to the cartridges was possible without violating the integrity of the packaging and seals."

According to the lawyer, this may indicate that “it is impossible to exclude access to the cartridges of third parties from the moment they were discovered during the search and before the examination”, so the cartridges could be replaced at any time after the search, which led to the abolition of criminal prosecution.

“The defense is satisfied with the decision of the investigation to terminate the criminal prosecution. Of course, the decision is legal. From the very beginning, Ramazanov claimed that the cartridges did not belong to him and were planted during the search. The investigation, by its decision, gave legal weight to his words. At the same time, where the cartridges came from in Ramazanov's house and to whom they belong, the investigation has not yet established," Ladin said.