Russian security forces held 16 relatives and friends of Crimean Tatars—accused in the "fifth Bakhchisaray group" Hizb ut-Tahrir case—on the Kerch Bridge for over 12 hours. This was reported by Amina Seitumerova, the wife of one of the defendants. Russian authorities have not commented on the situation.

According to Seitumerova, two vehicles were stopped during the night of October 19–20. The passengers included a pregnant woman and several elderly individuals. Their passports were confiscated, and the vehicles were subjected to searches and scanning. Prior to this, both cars had already been inspected in the villages of Muromskoye and Primorskoye.

One of the drivers was taken to Kerch during the night for a medical examination. Neither the breathalyzer test nor the subsequent analyses revealed any issues, yet the man was not returned for three hours. Security personnel also stated that the vehicles had to be inspected by a K-9 unit (dog handlers). When asked to expedite the process, they replied that there was "still plenty of time."

During the inspection, security officers issued formal warnings to each of the passengers. One vehicle was sent through the scanner twice, while the other was subjected to a manual search.

A similar incident occurred on October 12, when relatives of the accused were held on the bridge for approximately nine hours. According to Seitumerova, the inspection was justified by a search for "migrants." The passengers had their documents confiscated and were issued formal warnings from the Interior Ministry’s Center for Countering Extremism in Crimea. Upon their arrival at the courthouse, the relatives were met by five police vehicles. The "fifth Bakhchisaray group" case involves Remzi Nimetulaev, Ruslan Asanov, Amethan Umerov, Seydamet Mustafayev, Eldar Yakubov, and Abdulmedzhit Seytumerov. They were arrested in August 2023 and charged with organizing or participating in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, under Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This organization is banned in Russia.

The case is being heard by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. On October 20, the defendants were scheduled to deliver their final statements. Human rights activists and the defendants' relatives view the prosecution as politically motivated, and they interpret the lengthy roadside checks as a form of pressure on the families.