Former State Duma deputy and Crimean Tatar Ruslan Balbek has been detained in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

Law enforcement agencies in Kabardino-Balkaria have detained Ruslan Balbek, a former State Duma deputy and former deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Balbek is being investigated for unauthorized access to computer information (Part 3, Article 272 of the Russian Criminal Code) and slander associated with a charge of a serious or especially serious crime (Part 5, Article 128.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). The court ordered pretrial detention. The maximum penalty for each charge is five years' imprisonment.

Balbek previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea (2014-2016) and as a State Duma deputy (2016-2021). Previously, he was also a delegate to the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people and criticized the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars (an organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia).

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