Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Jails 4 Crimean Tatars for Extremism

Russian rights group Memorial described the defendants as "political prisoners." crimean-solidarity.org

Russia on Monday sentenced four Crimean Tatars to between 12 and 18 years in prison for taking part in a banned Islamic group, the defendants' lawyer said.  

A military court in southern Russia "has carried out a guilty verdict," lawyer Ayder Azamatov told the Interfax news agency. 

The four Crimean Tatars — a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority that mostly opposed Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine — were accused of taking part in a "terrorist" group and attempting to overthrow government order.

The court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Ruslan Mesutov and Lenur Khalilov to 18 years in prison, Eldar Kantemirov to 12 years in jail, and Ruslan Nagaev to 13 years behind bars. 

They were said to be part of the Hizb ut-Tahrir group — a pan-Islamist organization banned in Russia as terrorist but legal in Ukraine — the court ruled. 

The Ukrainian parliament's rights ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova on Monday said she "condemned the illegal decision" of the Russian court.

"Russian prosecutors managed to illegally imprison Crimean Tatars for a crime they did not commit," she said on Facebook. 

Russian rights group Memorial described the defendants as "political prisoners."

In January, three Crimean Tatars were handed between 13 and 18 years in jail on the same charges. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more