Court of occupied Crimea extends the term of detention for defendants in the case of Crimean Muslims

The Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol has again extended the arrest of political prisoners of the fourth Dzhankoy group in the case of Crimean Muslims until October 4.

This was reported by the human rights organization Crimean Solidarity.

According to the report, Rustem Mustafayev, Abibulla Smedlyaev, Emir Kurtnezirov, Mirzali Tajibayev and Bakhtiyar Ablayev had their preventive measures extended until October 4 in late June.

The defendants' lawyers appealed the extension in the Russian Supreme Court of Crimea.

The court upheld the decision on Bakhtiyar Ablaev's term, but canceled the decision of the Kyiv District Court on the terms for the other participants in the case due to procedural violations. They were ordered to be held in pre-trial detention for a month.

The Russian investigator filed an application with the same court requesting the extension of the arrest of Mustafayev, Smedlyayev, Kurtnezirov and Tajibayev until October 4. He substantiates his appeal by saying that the defendants can escape from the peninsula, and they do not have strong social ties.

"My client Abibulla Smedlyayev has children, a wife and all his relatives here," - lawyer Semedlyayev refuted the investigator's statement.

Nevertheless, the Russian court listened to the investigator's opinion and extended the arrest.

According to the patriots, the community in Crimea is one of the most active, especially in Simferopol, Yalta, Yevpatoria and Feodosia, and recently residents of smaller towns such as Simeiz and Balaklava have joined them.

A 39-year-old Sevastopol photographer, Nadiya Grekova, was sentenced to 22 years in prison by the occupiers. A Russian court in Rostov-on-Don found her guilty in the case of an attempted murder of an officer of the Russian Black Sea Fleet: this is the longest sentence ever given to a Ukrainian civilian prisoner by a Russian or occupation court.

Олександра Горст