The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the occupiers to stop persecuting journalists in the occupied Crimea

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement calling on Russia not to impede the free activities of press and media representatives on the territory of the temporarily occupied peninsula. Such a statement was the Committee’s reaction to the illegal actions of the occupiers, who in any way try to prevent the objective coverage of the situation in the occupied Crimea with respect to human rights and freedoms. The reason for the statement was the recent events with the illegal detention of 14 people who came to support Nariman Dzhelial and the Akhtemov brothers during the review of the appeal. Among them are “Crimean Solidarity” journalist Kulamet Ibraimov and “Crimean Solidarity” correspondent, journalist of Grata and Crimean human rights defender Lutfie Zudiieva. In particular, Kulamet Ibraimov was illegally arrested for 5 days, and after that an illegal search was conducted in his family’s house. Lutfie Zudiieva received a fine of 12,000 rubles.

“Russia in the occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea continue to harass journalists trying to shed light on the area’s alarming human rights situation. Their reporting is of crucial public interest and should not be hindered,” – said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator.