Six Crimean Tatar political prisoners have had their arrest extended
Crimean Solidarity activists from Bakhchisarai Seidamet Mustafayev, Eldar Yakubov, Abdulmedzhit Seytumerov, Ruslan Asanov, Ametkhan Umerov and Remzi Nimetulayev were again left in pretrial detention until May 23, 2025. This decision was made by the Southern Military Court in Rostov.
Lawyer Edem Semedlyaev recalled that the defendants have no intention of “hiding [from the court], influencing witnesses, or destroying evidence.”
“They did not resist or hide from the investigation. They are decent family men, had permanent sources of income in Crimea. They do not have real estate or income outside of Crimea. All social connections are in Crimea. Therefore, they have nowhere and no reason to escape. They just want to prove the truth, that they are innocent,” explained Edem Semedlyaev.
The men were arrested at the end of August 2023. They had previously been detained several times during rallies in support of other arrested Crimean Tatars. They are accused of participating in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in the Russian Federation. In Ukraine and other countries, the party operates legally, and its members are not prosecuted.
