Russia sentences three Crimean Tatars to 19 and 13 years in prison
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – FRIDAY, 8 JULY 2022, 16:36
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has sentenced three Crimean Tatars, Ismet Ibragimov, Oleg Fedorov and Ernest Ibragimov, to long prison terms in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case.
Source: Crimean Solidarity
Details: The court sentenced Ismet Ibragimov, a scholar of the Arabic language, to 19 years imprisonment. He will spend the first five years in a prison cell, and the rest of his term in a high-security correctional facility. On release, the following restrictions will apply to Ismet Ibragimov for a period of two years: he may not leave the boundaries of the municipal entity, he may not change his place of residence, temporary residence or work, and he must report to the supervisory authorities twice a month.
The court sentenced Ernest Ibragimov, a chef from the Salachik cafe, and Oleg Fedorov, an entrepreneur, to 13 years of imprisonment in a high-security facility, of which 3.5 years must be spent in a cell. Restrictions will apply for 1 year after release.
The Crimean Muslims are accused of participating in the activities of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has been banned in Russia since 2003. On the territory of Ukraine and most countries of the world, this organisation operates without legal restrictions at the national level.
According to the conclusions of the investigation, the Crimean Tatars were carrying out Islamic propaganda among the civilian population, spreading anti-Russian sentiments, "looking for supporters and creating a partisan mindset among the Crimean population".
At the same time, it is clear from the case materials that the accused did not possess any weapons, explosives or ammunition and were not planning any terrorist acts.
Background:
- Entrepreneur Oleg Fedorov and the chef from the Salachik cafe, Ernest Ibragimov, were detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia after their homes were searched in Bakhchysarai on 17 February 2021.
- On the same day, they were arrested for 2 months in the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol. The men were indicted under Part 2 of Article 205.5 (participation in the activities of an organisation recognised as terrorist under Russian legislation).
- A few months later, they were taken from Crimea and put in the Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention centre for the duration of the trial.
