Six Crimean Tatars Sentenced to 11-14 Years in russia on

Six Crimean Tatars in Russia have been illegally sentenced to 14 years on trumped-up charges. This is another case of violation of international law and human rights in the occupied Crimea.

This was reported by the press service of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

On April 29, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don handed down illegal sentences to six citizens of the Crimean Tatar people: Khalil Mambetov, Refat Seydametov, Osman Abdurazakov, Leman Zekeriayev, Ayder Asanov and Ekrem Krosh. All of them were sentenced to 11 to 14 years in prison on trumped-up charges.

The political charges relate to the alleged "participation in the activities of a terrorist organization" and "preparation for the violent seizure of power" under Articles 205.5 and 30, 278 of the Criminal Code.

The lawyers pointed out numerous violations of procedural law, including the illegality of searches, lack of proper evidence, the use of materials of operational and investigative activities without proper registration, as well as violations of the right to defense. The defendants emphasized that they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs and active civic position.

Currently, Russia illegally detains 224 Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Crimea on trumped-up charges, 134 of whom are Crimean Tatars.

According to the Crimean Solidarity NGO, the oldest among the convicts is 69-year-old Khalil Mambetov, a household appliance repairman from Dzhankoy. Together with him, 55-year-old businessman Refat Seidametov was sentenced to 14 years in a strict regime colony. They will spend the first four years in prison, and then in a penal colony. Both were also sentenced to another year of restricted liberty after their release.

The same sentences - 14 years each - were given to 41-year-old builder Osman Abdurazakov, 51-year-old Leman Zekeryayev and 39-year-old master craftsman Ekrem Krosh. The court sentenced 31-year-old Ayder Asanov to 11 years in prison, the shortest sentence. He is to spend the first three years in prison, and the rest in a strict regime colony. His freedom was additionally restricted for a year after serving the main term.

All of the convicts were found guilty of participating in the activities of the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia, as well as of preparing for a violent seizure of power. About 30 people - relatives and activists - came to the court to hear the verdict.

In January 2023, searches were conducted in the Dzhankoy district of Crimea, after which six Crimean Tatars were detained and subsequently taken to Rostov-on-Don. They were accused of involvement in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, which is banned in Russia but legally operates in Ukraine and a number of other countries.

The Mission emphasized that the cases of these citizens are another example of violations of international humanitarian law by the occupation administration in Crimea.

Анна Бальчінос