Occupation court extends arrest for defendants in 'Crimean Muslims case'

The Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don has again extended the term of detention for six defendants in the fifth Bakhchisarai group of the 'Crimean Muslims case'.

This was reported by Krym.Realii.

Ametkhan Umerov, Eldar Yakubov, Seytumer Seytumerov, Seydamet Mustafayev, as well as Ruslan Asanov and Remzi Nimetulayev will remain in jail until May 23. The defense counsel noted that the defense categorically objected to the extension of the preventive measure, on which the Russian prosecutor insisted.

''There were formal assumptions made by the prosecutor that our clients allegedly could not be at large, but should be held in a detention center. We provided our arguments that there is no evidence to support such assumptions. However, as expected, the court did not accept our arguments,'' Kurbedinov emphasized.

The lawyer also added that five defense witnesses took the stand during the hearing. Neighbors, colleagues and friends of the defendants gave positive characterizations of each of them. The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for March 2.

Russian security forces detained six Crimean Tatars on August 24, 2023, the day after the Crimean Platform summit. On that morning, the houses of Remzi Nimetulayev, Ruslan Asanov, Seydamet Mustafayev, Ametkhan Umerov, Eldar Yakubov and Abdulmejit Seytumerov were searched in Bakhchisarai and Bakhchisarai district.

All the detainees were charged under Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a terrorist organization and participation in it). The organization in question is Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia but is legal in Ukraine and most countries of the world.

Катерина Глушко