15 January 2025

The Term of Illegal Imprisonment for Three Crimean Political Prisoners Ends on February 9

On February 9, the term of imprisonment for three Crimean Tatar political prisoners detained under the fabricated Hizb ut-Tahrir case came to an end. Oleksii Tilnenko, Head of the Board of the CrimeaSOS NGO, reported this, specifying that it concerns Zevri Abseitov, Rustem Abiltarov, and Remzi Memetov.

The three activists were unlawfully detained in occupied Crimea in 2016 and sentenced by a Russian court to nine years of imprisonment on fabricated charges of participating in a terrorist organization and preparing for the violent overthrow of power. Their cases are part of the so-called “First Bakhchysarai Group,” which garnered widespread attention due to its politically motivated nature.

A fourth defendant in the case, Enver Mamutov, was unlawfully sentenced to 16 years and 9 months in prison on charges of creating a terrorist organization. His son, Suleiman Mamutov, is a multiple-time world, European, and Ukrainian champion in jiu-jitsu and grappling and is recognized as one of Ukraine’s most successful athletes in recent years.

Remzi Memetov’s son, Diliaver Memetov, heads the Crimean Solidarity  NGO in occupied Crimea, which supports political prisoners and their families and highlights searches and human rights violations on the occupied peninsula.

Illegal detentions in occupied Crimea and persecution on political, ethnic and religious grounds are part of Russia’s repressive policy. The victims are activists, journalists, and representatives of Ukraine’s Indigenous peoples and religious communities. These actions are in flagrant violation of international law and human rights. We call on the international community to increase pressure on the aggressor country to stop repression in occupied Crimea.