Four years ago, on March 27, 2019, Russian security forces in the occupied Crimea conducted mass searches in 26 homes of Crimean Tatars. According to the results, 20 people were detained, who are suspected of involvement in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization banned in the Russian Federation. On March 28, three more Crimean Tatar activists were detained, and searches were carried out in their homes in their absence. On March 27-28, the occupation court arrested all 23 Crimean Tatar activists detained after searches. They chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention. Subsequently, all the defendants in the case were repeatedly extended the terms of arrest.
On the same day, 60-year-old Dzhemil Gafarov was detained, who died on February 10 in the pre-trial detention center of Novocherkassk.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center states that the arrest of Crimean Tatar activists is an example of xenophobia towards the indigenous people of Crimea.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center demands the immediate release of all those detained on March 27 and 28, 2019 and other political prisoners of Crimea.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center calls on the international community, international human rights organizations to increase pressure on the Russian Federation and the occupation authorities of Crimea in order to stop political persecution and cancel earlier illegal court decisions.