Crimean Tatar political prisoner extended arrest
The interrogation of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Ernest Seitosmanov took place in the Southern District Military Court. He explained that he had nothing to do with terrorism. The Court extended his detention for another two months.
Before the preliminary investigation, the defence requested a fingerprint examination. The lawyer wanted to confirm or deny the presence of Seitosmanov’s fingerprints on the brochures that the security forces could have planted during the search. They are one of the main evidence of the prosecution. The security forces refused to grant the request, indirectly confirming that the books themselves and they planted», - said the defender.
The Crimean Tatar is accused of having links with the Islamic political party «Hizb ut-Tahrir». The organization is banned in Russia, but operates freely in Ukraine and other countries. According to human rights activists, members of the party are not persecuted for preparing a coup d'état and terrorism, but for actions against political repression in Crimea and criticism of the Russian authorities.
