7 years ago, on March 3, 2014, Crimean Tatar activist Reshat Ametov went to the central square of Simferopol to protest against the occupation of Crimea. He was detained by the so-called “Crimean self-defense” in the presence of Russian military personnel, which was recorded on video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11S2Vhkr-bc
No verified or confirmed information about the activist’s transfer after his abduction. According to mobile operators, immediately after the abduction of Reshat Ametov – he was brought to the office of “Russian Unity” in Simferopol. At that time, one of the headquarters of the “Self-Defense of Crimea” was located here. That’s where his phone last turned on.
Reshat Ametov’s body was found on March 17, 2014, in the village of Zemlyanichnoye, with signs of torture.
The murder of Reshat Ametov is one of the events that may be considered by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court as part of a preliminary investigation into the situation in Ukraine. It may later be classified as a crime against humanity or as a war crime of premeditated murder. As of now, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies describe the murder of the activist exactly in this context.
The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea remembers every victim of the occupation and expresses words of support to the relatives and friends of Reshat Ametov. Together with Ukrainian law enforcement, we are making every effort to ensure that anyone who commits a crime will be punished.