26 November 2025

Russian security forces detained 74-year-old Crimean Tatar historian Enver Seitmemetov in the temporarily occupied Bakhchysarai

In the morning, in the temporarily occupied city of Bakhchysarai, Russian security forces conducted a search in the home of 74-year-old Crimean Tatar historian Enver Seitmemetov, after which he was taken to Simferopol, Crimean Solidarity reports.

Around ten security officers arrived at the historian’s residence. After reading out the warrant, they forcibly removed him from his home. Seitmemetov is the uncle of four political prisoners in the so-called Hizb ut-Tahrir cases: Sejtumer, Osman, Abdulmedzhit Sejtumerov, and Rustem Seitmemetov.

Later, it became known that employees of the occupying Center for Countering Extremism are preparing an administrative offense report against Enver Seitmemetov and plan to bring him before the Russian-controlled “Kyiv District Court” of Simferopol.

If, during his detention, the historian was deprived of the opportunity to notify his relatives or lawyers, or was denied access to legal counsel, such actions may constitute unlawful deprivation of liberty. According to Article 8(2)(a)(vii) of the Rome Statute, this constitutes a war crime.