Four Crimean Tatar women's pretrial detention extended by three months

A court in Simferopol extended the pretrial detention of mother-of-five Esma Nimetulayeva, 21-year-old businesswoman Fevziye Osmanova, 20-year-old student Elviza Aliyeva, and 19-year-old student Nasiba Saidova until September 14. They are accused of involvement with the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is designated a terrorist organization in Russia.

The hearing was held behind closed doors. Relatives were not allowed to speak with the defendants. Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov emphasized the law regulating the designation of organizations as terrorist.

"I drew the court's attention to the fact that, according to the federal law establishing the procedure for designating organizations as terrorist and adopted in 2007, Hizb ut-Tahrir was not designated as a terrorist organization," said Emil Kurbedinov.

However, the court ignored the defense's arguments.

On October 15, 2025, four Crimean Tatar women were detained in the Sevastopol and Bakhchisaray districts: Esma Nimetulayeva, Elviza Aliyeva, Nasiba Saidova, and Fevziye Osmanova. They were charged with ties to the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, designated a terrorist organization in Russia but operating legally in many countries. During searches, books were discovered, which, according to the defendants' relatives, were planted on them.

This is the first case in Crimea related to Hizb ut-Tahrir involving women. Human rights activists believe the criminal prosecution of the Crimean Tatars is motivated by their civic stance and protests against repression.

Последние новости
Эксперт объяснил несовместимость позиций Москвы и Еревана по референдуму о вступлении Армении в ЕС
Politics
Эксперт объяснил несовместимость позиций Москвы и Еревана по референдуму о вступлении Армении в ЕС
5 September 2026

Встреча Владимира Путина и Никола Пашиняна в Бишкеке, как и ожидалось, не сняла главного противоречия в отношениях Москвы и Еревана — вопроса о том, готова ли Армения сделать окончательный выбор между евразийской и европейской интеграцией. При этом, как считает ведущий научный сотрудник Института международных исследований МГИМО Сергей Маркедонов, Москва и Ереван занимают принципиально разные позиции по вопросу о проведении референдума, на котором Армения могла бы определиться с выбором своего дальнейшего внешнеполитического курса. В Telegram-канале «Донской Казак» Маркедонов обращает внимание на то, что Москва заинтересована в том, чтобы Ереван как можно скорее определился между двумя интеграционными векторами. Руководство Армении, напротив, явно не торопится выносить этот вопрос на общенациональное голосование.

Justice in the Bin’: ECHR Drops Nearly 1,000 Cases Against Russia, Most Filed by North Caucasus Residents
Human rights
Justice in the Bin’: ECHR Drops Nearly 1,000 Cases Against Russia, Most Filed by North Caucasus Residents
5 September 2026

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has struck out 879 remaining applications against Russia involving more than 1,500 individuals and organisations. The Memorial Human Rights Centre described the decision as “unprecedented in the practice of the [ECHR], and indeed in the history of international justice as a whole”.

Diplomacy Gives Way to Brashness: Zakharova Turns to *Heart of a Dog* to Answer Pashinyan
Politics
Diplomacy Gives Way to Brashness: Zakharova Turns to *Heart of a Dog* to Answer Pashinyan
4 September 2026

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded sarcastically to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement regarding the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri by quoting Mikhail Bulgakov’s novella *Heart of a Dog*.

The court denied 52 defense motions in the case of the
Human rights
The court denied 52 defense motions in the case of the "fifth Bakhchisarai group."
4 September 2026

On August 31, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don rejected all 52 motions filed by the defense in the case of the so-called "fifth Bakhchisarai group." Judge Roman Saprunov rendered the ruling as part of the panel of judges. This was reported by Amina Seitumerova, the wife of political prisoner Abdulmedzhit Seitumerov, who is a defendant in the case.