06 February 2025
In Occupied Crimea, Security Forces Conducted Illegal Searches in the Homes of Crimean Tatars: Five People Were Detained
On February 5, at 4:00 a.m., in occupied Crimea, the occupying security structures carried out unlawful searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the villages of Istochnе, Novokrymskе, and Lobanove in the Dzhankoi district, as well as in the town of Yarke Pole in the Feodosiia district. As a result of these raids, five individuals were detained: Emir Kurtnеzirov, Abibulla Smedliaiev, Rustem Mustafaiev, Myrzaali Tazhybaiev, and Bakhtiiar Ablaiev. The Crimean Solidarity reported this.
During the search of the home of Crimean Tatar Emir Kurtnеzirov in the village of Lobanove, the occupying security forces allegedly “discovered” prohibited literature. The detainee’s wife, Safiie Yakubova, stated in a comment to Krymska Solidarnist that the security forces had planted these materials.
“They found it under the bed and said: ‘Why are you saying that you don’t have a prohibited book if we just found one?’ We were all in that room at the time, and clearly, someone entered and planted it,” she stated.
According to her testimony, at 4:00 a.m., security forces arrived at their home, knocked on the door, and when Emir opened it, he was immediately forced to the ground with his hands behind his back. They then demanded that the family hand over their mobile phones and documents. During the search, two phones and documents were confiscated, and questions regarding his education were also asked.
“They asked him to sign, but he refused. They said that if he signed, they might reduce the sentence—from 5 to 8 years,” emphasized Safiie Yakubova.
The sister of the detained Emir Kurtnеzirov, Emine Kurtnеzirova, reported that their home search began before dawn.
“A year ago, on March 5, my father was detained—he is now under house arrest. Today, they took my beloved brother; he is our only one. A month ago, he got married; a young family had been separated. His wife is left alone. This is lawlessness,” Emine stated.
The wife of the unlawfully detained Rustem Mustafaiev, Shefikha Mustafaieva, described the circumstances of the search:
“We woke up because they simply, it seems, broke our door lock neatly and entered the house. I woke up when my husband called me and got dressed. They read out the warrant and began the search. I told them that our son has a medical condition, a diagnosis and asked them to act appropriately. In the end, they said they were taking my husband for a long time—allowing him to perform ablution and say his prayer. They thoroughly checked all documents, inspected the car in the garage, and even searched the attic. My husband did not sign anything and said he would provide explanations only in the presence of a lawyer,” she reported.
Abibulla Smedliayev, a 33-year-old resident of Novokrymskе, is the father of four minor children. During the search, security forces confiscated the personal belongings of the family without providing any official grounds for his detention.
The wife of Myrzaali Tazhybaiev, Hulnara, reported that about ten occupying security officers conducted the unlawful search of their home.
“He has never been involved in any political or religious crimes. During holidays, he prepared pilaf for the sake of Allah and gave sadaqah,” she said.
At 9:00 a.m., it became known that another illegal search and detention had taken place—Bakhtiiar Ablaiev, a resident of the village of Kovylnе in the Dzhankoi district, was also detained. While there are fewer details about his search, it is confirmed that he was also taken to Simferopol.
Human rights activist Lutfiie Zudiieva emphasized that such actions by Russian security forces are a systematic violation of the rights of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.
All five unlawfully detained individuals are currently being held in a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol. Lawyers are attempting to gain access to their clients, but information regarding the charges remains limited.
The occupation “court” in Simferopol has issued an illegal ruling to detain Emir Kurtnezirov, Rustem Mustafaiev, and Abibulla Smedliaiev until April 4, 2025.
As of today, the Russian occupation administration is unlawfully holding 218 people, including 132 representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, on charges of fabricated crimes such as terrorism, extremism, and high treason. Article 205.5, under which the detainees are being charged, is the main legal tool used for politically motivated persecution in occupied Crimea. Notably, some of those arrested today are family members of political prisoners, illustrating how the Russian occupation administration carries out repressions against entire families.
The occupiers systematically persecute Ukrainian citizens, using the practice of unlawful detentions and administrative prosecutions based on fabricated charges. Such actions grossly violate fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law. Only the de-occupation of the Crimean Peninsula can guarantee the protection of its residents from repression based on political, religious, or ethnic grounds.
We call on the entire international community to respond to the latest instances of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied Crimea and urge everyone to join forces in order to swiftly end Russia’s politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian citizens.