Five Crimean Tatar political prisoners have been asked for long terms

In the Southern District Court, the prosecutor has asked for 11 to 17 years of imprisonment for five Crimean Tatars. In particular, 41-year-old Enver Krosh is to be sentenced to 17 years in a maximum security penal colony, Edem Bekirov and Rinat Aliyev to 15 years, journalist Vilen Temeryanov to 13 years, and Seityaga Abbozov to 11 years.

Criminal cases have been opened against the Crimean Tatars for participating in the political party Hizb ut-Tahrir. It is recognized as terrorist in Russia, but at the same time it operates legally in Europe and the world. According to the investigation, the defendants "carried out anti-Russian activities." Enver Krosh stated that he was tortured during his escort from the north of Crimea to Simferopol.

Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov noted that an audio recording of a conversation in a mosque from 2015 was used as evidence of the activists' involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir. There were no discussions about terrorism or extremism. The defense and the accused were not given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the materials that the court sent for examination.

According to the fingerprint examination, the books confiscated from the Crimean Tatar political prisoners, recognized as "extremist", did not have their fingerprints.

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