The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea strongly condemns the audacious criminal actions of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation aimed at imprisoning Ukrainian citizen lawyer Edem Semedlyaev in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The lawyer was detained – a protocol was drawn up against him on the commission of an administrative offense pursuant to art. 19.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (disobedience to law enforcement agencies).

The Russian-controlled “court” of the invaders sentenced Semedlyaev to a 12-day arrest and fined him 4,000RUB (1,453UAH).

This is nothing more than a continuation of the policy of persecution of citizens of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol for their political, religious beliefs, as well as in connection with their professional and public activities.

We are convinced that the relevant steps taken by the occupation administration against Edem Semedlyaev are related to his professional activity as a lawyer for the protection of citizens of Ukraine in politically motivated cases, which are systematically fabricated by the law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation.

We call on the Russian Federation to release lawyer Edem Semedlyaev, to end the wave of repression and persecution in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol against the citizens of Ukraine for their political views and beliefs, as well as in connection with their professional and social activities. We express our support for Edem Semedlyaev. Ukraine will do everything to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against humanity.