Arrest extended for group of Crimean Tatars

A court in Simferopol extended the arrest of four Crimean Tatars until October 4. Plumber Rustem Mustafayev, laborer Abibulla Smedlyaev, son of a political prisoner Emir Kurtnezirov and cook Mirzali Tazhibaev are accused of participating in the activities of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in Russia but legal in Ukraine and other countries.

“The investigator justified the extension of the arrest by the fact that the investigative actions are not complete, there are a number of measures that need to be taken - to familiarize the accused with the examinations, materials of the criminal case and to complete this criminal case,” said lawyer Edem Semedlyaev.

Relatives of the Crimean Tatars previously claimed that banned books were planted on them during searches. However, no search reports were drawn up. They took place on February 5, 2025, when the Crimean Tatars were detained.

According to human rights activists, the alleged members of Hizb ut-Tahrir are being persecuted not for preparing a coup d'etat and terrorism, but for participating in public actions against political repression in Crimea and criticizing the Russian authorities.

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