Crimean Tatar political prisoners were taken out of Crimea

Crimean Tatars Khalil Mambetov, Refat Seidametov, Ekrem Krosh, Aider Asanov, Osman Abdurazakov and Leman Zekeryaev were transported from the Simferopol pre-trial detention center to the Rostov-on-Don detention center.

The daughter of 68-year-old Khalil Mambetov, Elmaz, said that her father suffers from arthrosis, and her mother has been treated for oncology for several years. Most of the relatives of those arrested did not have time to visit them in Crimea.

Crimean Tatars are accused of participating in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was recognized by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation as a “terrorist organization.” At the same time, it operates freely on the territory of Ukraine and most countries of the world. According to human rights activists, members of the organization are being persecuted not for preparing a coup and terrorism, but for public actions against political repression in Crimea and criticism of the Russian authorities.

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