On 08 April 2020 the so-called “investigative committee” reported that om 10 April the leader of the Crimean Tartar People Mustafa Dzhamilyov would be charged in a “criminal case”, opened in summer of 2014.

Mustafs Dzhamilyov is accussed of allegedly illegal crossing the state border of the Russian Federation and “illegal careless storage  of weapons”

The so-called  Simferopol “court” detained Dzhamilyov in absentia as a preventive measure on the grounds that he is “a fugitive from investigation and trial, can put pressure on witnesses, destroy evidence, being a citizen of  another state without a permanent place of residence in the territory of Crimea”.

The occupier continues to violate the international humanitarian law  applying its criminal legislation in the occupied Crimea and practice politically motivated persecution in absentia against the Ukrainian authorities using this as an element of propaganda as well.

We emphasize that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are integral parts of Ukraine. Politically motivated criminal proceedings opened by the so-called “law-enforcement agencies of the occupying – state” against Mustafa Dzhamilyov is ultimately just an unlawful persecution against the leader of the Crimean Tatar People for his opposition to Russian aggression and struggle for territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is also a reaffirmation of systemic policies of the occupiers, aimed to discredit and obstruction of the activity of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People.

We are confident that this fact will be assessed not only within national criminal proceedings but also by courts at the international level.