On July 28, the Court of Appeal in Sochi, Russia, completed consideration of the appeal against the verdict in the falsified case against the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelal and brothers Aziz and Asan Akhtemov. The occupation court left the terms of imprisonment unchanged, but toughened the verdict of the first instance by ordering that the illegally convicted persons be held in prison for the first three years and in a strict regime colony for the following three years. In addition, all the defense’s motions to exclude unfounded evidence were rejected.

On the same day, the occupation security forces detained 14 people who came to the building of the occupation “Supreme Court” of Simferopol to support Nariman Dzhelial and the Akhtemov brothers. Among them are relatives of the political prisoners – Narmin’s brother Ruslan Dzhelial and Aziz’s mother Zarema Akhtemov, activist Rustem Useinov, correspondent of the Crimean Solidarity and Graty newspaper Lutfiye Zudiyeva and journalist Kulamet Ibraimov. 5 detainees were fined.

As a reminder, human rights activist and public figure, representative of the indigenous people Nariman Dzhelal was detained by the occupiers after participating in the Inaugural Summit of the Crimean Platform in 2021 and sentenced to 17 years of illegal detention.

On August 1, Nariman’s lawyer Mykola Polozov published a short appeal of the political prisoner, which deserves attention. We publish it in full.

“Many people expected me to make some kind of political manifesto in my last speech at the Court of Appeal. However, I was in a completely different mood. For almost 2 years, I have talked to hypocritical people in robes, and I did not want to throw beads in front of them. So I just reminded them that they will be judged for their hypocrisy by a much fairer court.

And to those who continue to believe in us and in us. To those who care and make efforts to liberate our country and its citizens, I would say that we are not broken. We still believe in the power of truth and justice. We still rejoice in the successes of our soldiers and long for their victory.

We will endure as long as it takes. Only you do not give up! I know you will not give up!

Thousands of people in Crimea are waiting…”