Russian-controlled court upholds verdict against Crimean Tatar sentenced for transferring funds to Ukraine

On 29 August, the Russian-controlled Supreme Court of Crimea upheld the verdict in the case of Appaz Kurtamet, a Crimean Tatar who was accused of donating to members of Ukrainian volunteer battalions.

Source: the Crimean Process initiative

Details: During its consideration of the appeal, the panel of judges of the Supreme Court of Crimea recognised one of the pieces of evidence taken into account when the case was heard in the court of first instance as inadmissible. However, it saw no reason to overturn the verdict or revise the sentence.

Background:

• Kurtamet was detained by Russian security forces at the administrative border with temporarily occupied Crimea, where he was heading to visit relatives, on 23 July 2022. All contact with him was lost that same day, and his whereabouts remained unknown until 8 October. The Russian occupiers began his show trial at the end of February this year.
• In April 2023, the Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol sentenced Kurtamet to up to 7 years’ imprisonment for allegedly transferring 500 hryvnias (about US$14) to the Crimea volunteer battalion.
• According to the investigators, he transferred the funds to a representative of the battalion. Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets says the young man lent this money to a friend who was actually well-off at the time.

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