Crimean Tatar political prisoner transported 4,500 km from home

Crimean Tatar activist Aziz Akhtemov, sentenced to 13 years, was transported from a prison in Krasnoyarsk Krai to the maximum security penal colony IK-10 in Altai. The transfer lasted almost two months, during which Akhtemov was held in pre-trial detention centers in Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, and Barnaul. The distance between Crimea and Altai is 4,500 km.

In 2022, brothers Asan and Aziz Akhtemov, as well as the first deputy head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelal, were sentenced to terms in a maximum security penal colony of 13 to 17 years. Investigators believe that they participated in the explosion of a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalnoye in Crimea on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services.

The defendants stated that after their arrest they were tortured with electric shocks, demanding confessions from them. They did not admit their guilt.

Lawyers said that at the appeal stage the court closed the trial to the audience, and the principles of openness and transparency were effectively ignored. During the interrogation of a secret witness, the court reminded him that he could refuse to answer certain questions from the lawyers. In addition, the defense was denied a repeat of several examinations.

Последние новости
Armenian Prime Minister Does Not Rule Out International Court Over Railway Dispute with Russia
Politics
Armenian Prime Minister Does Not Rule Out International Court Over Railway Dispute with Russia
30 July 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said Yerevan does not rule out taking its dispute with Russia over the management of the South Caucasus Railway to an international court if the issue cannot be resolved through negotiations. At the same time, he stressed that the Armenian authorities hope to settle the matter through talks.
Circassian Youth from Syria and Turkey Hold First Joint Meeting in Damascus Since Change of Power
Society
Circassian Youth from Syria and Turkey Hold First Joint Meeting in Damascus Since Change of Power
30 July 2026

Circassian youth from Syria and Turkey have held their first international gathering in Damascus since the change of power in the country, bringing together young members of the diaspora to strengthen cultural ties, foster dialogue, and discuss future cooperation.
Georgia Denies International Protection to 17 Ukrainians, Who Now Face Possible Deportation
Human rights
Georgia Denies International Protection to 17 Ukrainians, Who Now Face Possible Deportation
30 July 2026

Georgian authorities have denied international protection to 17 Ukrainian citizens who have spent nearly a year in the basement of the Dariali border crossing point (Upper Lars) on the Georgia–Russia border. Once the decisions take legal effect, they could be deported at any moment.
Fuel Crisis Reaches Abkhazia as Long Queues Form at Petrol Stations
Economy
Fuel Crisis Reaches Abkhazia as Long Queues Form at Petrol Stations
30 July 2026

Abkhazia is facing a sharp deterioration in its fuel supply, with long queues forming at major petrol stations in Sukhumi and other towns. Some filling stations have introduced a limit of 20 litres of petrol per vehicle. The de facto authorities acknowledge supply disruptions but insist they are temporary.