The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea condemns the absolutely illegal actions of the so-called “law enforcement agencies” controlled by the occupation administration of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol regarding the mass detention near the building of the so-called “Supreme Court in Simferopol”. “Supreme Court in Simferopol”, where the appeal against the verdict in the “case of Nariman Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers” is being considered by means of a video link with the Third Occupation Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Sochi, relatives, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists who came to the hearing to support the defendants.

Among the detainees are Aziz Akhtemov’s parents, Zarema and Eskender Akhtemov, Crimean Solidarity correspondents: journalist Lutfiye Zudiyeva (also a journalist for Grati) and journalist Kulamet Ibraimov, relatives of Nariman Dzhelal and even civil society activists with disabilities. In total, at least 14 detainees have been reported.

Such “decisions” are aimed solely at isolating the detainees and intimidating relatives, journalists and activists who defend the rights and freedoms of their relatives or compatriots, as well as covering the arbitrary actions of the occupiers.

We express our support to the detainees, the defendants and their families. Ukraine will do everything possible to de-occupy Crimea and bring those responsible for arbitrary detentions, politically motivated decisions and other violations of the rights and freedoms of our citizens to justice.

Ukraine will also raise the issue of these illegal actions of the occupation authorities and blatant human rights violations at the Crimean Platform. We are grateful to our international partners who systematically condemn the actions of the Russian Federation to persecute Nariman Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers and other illegally detained citizens of Ukraine.

We appeal to the entire international community to respond to the latest manifestations of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied Crimea and to join forces to stop the persecution of the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Nariman Dzhelal and other Ukrainian citizens for political reasons by the Russian Federation as soon as possible.