Crimean Tatar political prisoner asked for 18 years in prison
In the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, the prosecutor asked Ansar Osmanov, an activist of the Crimean Solidarity movement, to be sentenced to 18 years in a strict regime colony. The Crimean Tatar is accused of participating in the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned and recognized as terrorist in Russia, but at the same time freely operating in Ukraine and other countries of the world.
“During the examination of audio recordings of conversations, there were no calls for terrorist activity, nor were there any mentions of bombs and explosives,” lawyer Emil Kurbedinov concluded. Ansar Osmanov was a member of the Crimean Solidarity movement and an active visitor to courts on politically motivated cases. Before his arrest, the political prisoner made a living by making wooden souvenirs. Now five children are growing up in his family without a father.
