The occupants in Crimea kidnapped Crimean Tatar Asan Zekeryaev, his wife Emine and two minor children of the activist

The occupation forces conducted an illegal search in the house of activist and Crimean Tatar Asan Zekerayev, after which they took the man to an unknown destination. A few hours later, it became known that the man’s wife Emine and their two minor children, who were in her family’s house at the time, were also taken away and not informed where they were going. 

The brother of the illegally detained Emine Ibraim Chiki said that the occupation forces were wearing masks, did not conduct a search, and took the woman’s phone. 

“They didn’t introduce themselves, who they were, from which bodies, what rank they were in. Asan was also with them. They took my sister, Asan’s wife, children, and told my father that they were going to Staryi Krym.” 

Lawyer Lilya Hemedzhi said that shortly before the visit, 25-year-old Emine Zekeryayeva called her and wanted to conclude an agreement with a lawyer to start searching for her husband. 

“At 10:26 am, I received a call from Zekeryayev’s wife, Emine. She was visiting her parents and reported that her husband had been taken away by unknown persons in an unknown direction. After a consultation, she was given recommendations. She contacted the IAA hotline at 102 and filed a statement about her husband’s abduction. She also called the FSB hotlines and the prosecutor’s office (to the prosecutor on duty). Sometimes the phone numbers were not answered, sometimes they said that she had called the wrong address. She was very worried about her husband,” commented Hemedzhi.

This is not the first time Asan Zekeryayev has been persecuted. In January 2022, police officers in Simferopol drew up a report against him for being present near the court building. He served 14 days of ‘administrative arrest’ in a special detention centre. 

On 25 January 2023, near the building of the Kyiv District Court, officers of the Centre for Countering Extremism and Rosgvardia soldiers acting on their command began mass detentions of Crimean Tatars. 

The actions of the occupation administration must be stopped immediately! The only way to ensure the rights and freedoms of our citizens is to de-occupy Crimea!