On Monday, October 16, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center presented an analysis of human rights violations in occupied Crimea for 9 months of 2023. According to the organization, during the reporting period, Russian security forces conducted 57 searches, 154 arrests/detentions, and 165 interrogations, interviews, and conversations. The total number of arrests for 9 months of 2023 is 182. Most of the violations by the occupiers occur among representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. This practice has become systemic on the peninsula.
The press conference was attended by the Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the head of the department for legal issues and foreign affairs of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariiev, and the communications manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Tetiana Savchuk.
Over 9 months of 2023, 57 searches were recorded, 38 in the houses of Crimean Tatars. During the same period in 2022, 25 searches were recorded, and in 2021 – 46.
The searches were carried out:
— In January, Asanov Ibraim, Krosh Ekrem, Asanov Aider, Seidametov Refat, Abdurazakov Osman, Zekiriaiev Leman, Mambetov Khalil
— In February, twice with Ilver Ametov, Dmytro Demchuk, Halyna Balaban, with the parents of Abdulaziz Dzhemilev.
— In March, Edem Murtazaiev, Memet Ashurov, Asan Abduramanov, Akhtem Ismailov, Lenur Urkumet, Lemmar Yunusov, Rolan Osmanov, Mustafa Mustafaiev, Shevket Erhashev.
— In April, Fazil Emiruseinov, Abdureshit Dzhepparov, Edem Ismailov and Bari Bariiev.
— In May, seven citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria in Crimea, who allegedly planned attempts against Aksenov, Konstantinov and Pavlenko, from Ridvan Rustemov.
— In June, with Jafer and Alim Aliustaiev, Bekir Dervishev and Diliaver Musaiev.
— In August, Asan Zekeriaiev, Ametkhan Umerov, Seidamet Mustafaiev, Ruslan Asanov, Abdulmedzhyt Seitumerov, Eldar Yakubov, Remzi Nimetulaiev and 9 Jehovah’s Witnesses.
— In September, a 54-year-old Crimean citizen, detained for participation in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion, Andrii Babychenko, Amet Abdulhaniiev and Dzhelal Dzhyrykov.
“Over 9 months of 2023, 154 detentions/arrests were recorded, 112 in relation to Crimean Tatars. A number of recorded arrests were made after searches. Residents of Crimea were detained on suspicion of involvement in the organizations banned in the Russian Federation Hizb ut-Tahrir, Jehovah’s Witnesses, for evading conscription into the armed forces of the Russian Federation, for justifying terrorism on social networks, promoting terrorism, for state treason, and mass arrests were also recorded near court buildings”,- noted Eskender Bariiev.
Over 9 months of 2023, 182 arrests were recorded, of which 122 were against representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
“Out of 182 cases, 37 are new arrests, 44 are sentences, 1 is posthumous sentence, 68 are administrative arrests, 32 are extensions of detention”,- explained Tetiana Savchuk.
The speakers paid special attention to the fact that due to the failure to provide adequate medical care in Russian places of detention, two political prisoners died: Dzhemil Gafarov and Kostiantyn Shyrynh.
The CTRC report, which is available on the organization’s website, also contains information about interrogations, violations of environmental standards on the peninsula, improper conditions in pre-trial detention centers and prisons, violations of the rights of political prisoners, illegal military exercises in occupied Crimea.
In addition, based on the realities of our time, the CTRC began to record human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
So, as noted by Tetiana Savchuk, communications manager of the CTRC, over the 9 months of 2023, the CTRC recorded at least 42 cases of detention, 16 arrests of representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, at least 17 searches, as well as 368 cases of murders.
The report also drew attention to such cases as: torture and threats, illegal appointment of occupation authorities, deportation of children and propaganda, destruction of the ecosystem and highlighted other offenses.