The US and the EU have condemned the verdict of the defendants in the so-called Bilohirsk Hizb ut-Tahrir case who were imprisoned for a term of 13 to 18 years. The international community demands to reverse this decision and release political prisoners.
“This is another series of unfair condemnations. Russia has no right to detain, persecute or condemn a Ukrainian on Ukrainian soil. We call on Russia to release all Ukrainian political prisoners. Crimea is Ukraine”,- the US embassy said in a statement.
European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas also noted that he was shocked by the verdict passed on three Crimean Tatars and said that all illegally imprisoned and detained Ukrainians should be immediately released.
We remind that on June 10, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the dwellings of Crimean Tatars in Alushta, Bilohirsk and Simferopol. As a result, 8 people were detained on suspicion of their involvement in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization banned in the Russian Federation. On June 10 and 11, the so-called Kyiv District Court of Simferopol chose a preventive measure in the form of detention until August 5 for the Crimean Tatars detained after searches – Riza Omerov, Enver Omerov, Ayder Dzhepparov, Eskender Suleymanov, Ruslan Nagaev, Eldar Kantimirov, Ruslan Mensutov and Lenur Khalilov. Subsequently, all the defendants in the so-called case were repeatedly extended the terms of their arrest. On January 12, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don announced the verdict of the defendants in the Belohirsk "Hizb ut-Tahrir case." Enver Omerov was sentenced to 18 years, Ayder Dzhepparov to 17 years, Riza Omerov to 13 years in prison.