Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
Crimean Tatars Seydamet Mustafayev, Eldar Yakubov and Abdulmejit Seytumerov were arrested for two months in SIZO No. 2 in Simferopol. A day earlier, a similar preventive measure was issued against Ruslan Asanov, Ametkhan Umerov and Remzi Nimetulaev.
All Crimean Tatars are accused under article 205.5 of the Criminal Code for participation in a terrorist organization, which in the Russian Federation is considered Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic party that operates absolutely legally in Ukraine and many countries of the world. The testimony of hidden witnesses was used to initiate the case.
When the second three defendants were sent to the pre-trial detention center, 23 people who came to support them were detained near the court. They were given subpoenas to the military registration and enlistment office for “reconciliation of data”, some were sent to temporary detention centers in different cities of Crimea before the trial.