Russian invaders continue unlawful detention of Crimean Tatar Leniie Umerova

The Moscow City Court reviewed a request by the prosecutor to extend the preventive measure for Crimean Tatar Leniie Umerova, who has been illegally and unreasonably accused of alleged “espionage.” Her detention has been prolonged for an additional three months, until August 4, 2024.

In December 2022, Russian security forces illegally detained Leniie while she was crossing the Georgia-Russia border at the Verkhnii Lars checkpoint. The girl was on her way to the occupied Crimea to take care of her seriously ill father. The Russians accused her of allegedly “violating the rules of staying on the territory near the state border” and detained her. However, a few months later, a new accusation was leveled against her — one of espionage, as declared by the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow.

The main reason for these political persecutions by Russia is the fact that Leniie has a Ukrainian passport: she refused to receive Russian documents in 2014 and moved to mainland Ukraine. The Crimean Tatar is potentially facing up to 20 years in prison, and her case has been classified.