The investigation brought final charges against the Crimean Tatars Osman Abdurazakov, Leman Zekeryaev, Khalil Mambetov, Refat Seydametov, Ekrem Krosh and Ayder Asanov. In the coming months, political prisoners will be transferred from the Crimean pre-trial detention center to Rostov-on-Don for trial.

Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov considers it illegal to transport Crimean political prisoners outside the peninsula. “Such a transfer of Ukrainian citizens to the territory of Russia is a violation of humanitarian law, the Geneva Convention, the PACE resolution and international law. This is regarded as a war crime,” commented the lawyer.

Crimean Tatars are accused of participating in the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir. From January 2015, criminal cases on Hizb ut-Tahrir began to be initiated in Crimea, which came under the de facto control of Russia. In Ukraine and many countries of the world, the activities of the party are not prohibited, activists hold mass public events.