Occupants conduct searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars whose relatives are fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In the occupied Crimea, Russian security forces are conducting searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars, including those whose relatives are fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia.

This was reported by the head of the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG) Olga Skrypnyk, according to Suspilne Krym.

According to Skrypnyk, such searches began in March 2022.

"It was then that the FSB officers called explanatory conversations that they should not contact, they should not pass on information to their own, that this could be considered espionage and everything else. We understand that they have lists of people who are being watched separately, and there is an additional risk for the families of military personnel and other civil servants of Ukraine," said Skrypnyk.

She emphasized that these people are being held hostage by the occupation authorities. Skrypnyk pointed out that this is a standard tactic of the occupiers.

"Now they may be updating the lists again, because this work is ongoing, and it is not the first time they have visited Crimean Tatar families," she added.

At the same time, the human rights initiative "Tribunal. The Crimean Episode", citing representatives of the human rights initiative "Irade", reported that on September 4, similar searches took place in the house of the parents of Ismail Khalikov, who previously served as the Representative of the Ombudsman of Ukraine for the observance of the rights of residents of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. These measures of the occupiers were connected with the information about his service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Contrary to the recent practice, this time the 'masked men' did not storm the house and did not put everyone face down on the floor. They read out the resolution to conduct the inspection and even ensured the real presence of 'representatives of the public' who usually appear only on paper. As a result of the inspection, one cell phone was seized," the statement reads.

The CHRG Head of the Board is convinced that such actions of the Russian security forces are pressure on people.

"This is indeed a form of pressure, because we understand that this is, first of all, a hint, that we are on your pencil, so to speak. And potentially, it is also a threat, and at any time cases against such people can be fabricated," Skrypnyk said.