On January 29, at the Military Court of Appeal in Vlasikha, Crimean political prisoners Osman Arifmemetov and Yashar Muedinov gave their final word during the final part of the trial. Lawyer Lilia Hemedzhi reported this to Crimean Solidarity.
“What non-procedural relations connect judges and FSB investigators that the former accept from the latter only on their word of honor?”,- said Osman Arifmemetov.
Arifmemetov’s speech lasted 15 minutes, during which he noted the court’s biased attitude towards all those involved in the case.
“Their narrow thinking was not even able to think about the question: “Why are these guys trying so hard? After all, they understand perfectly well what the outcome will be.” So I will answer. The fact is that we have a sense of responsibility for our people. A sense of responsibility is a person’s emotional state, which pushes him to think about finding ways to solve problems that bother him. We are limited by the accepted nonviolent method of struggle, but we are not limited in the ways and forms within this method. So, one of the ways is to fight in the legal field”,- he said.
He also explained that he and his law enforcement officers carried out detailed research and analysis of investigative actions in order to show Russian society and the international community how these cases are prepared.
“Let the world see how the FSB falsifies evidence in the fight against dissent. How prosecutors and judges assist in the fabrication of cases. Security forces, authorities and the media are trying to portray us as dangerous criminals. Thus, justifying their repressions in the eyes of the international community”,- he explained.
He added that the court is acting unprofessionally and is basing charges on rumors, unclear statements, and incorrect investigative procedures.
“What kind of witnesses are these? Why do judges believe them? Why have the judges turned into curious elder women and discuss rumors? Why do they believe the investigators, the prosecutor and their witnesses? But they don’t believe us or our witnesses. Where is the equality of the parties? Where is the presumption of innocence? Where is the rule of law? The listed principles have long been alien to the Russian judging system”,- he said.
Osman expresses his feelings about the fact that Crimean Tatar political prisoners are treated as terrorists.
“Nobody understands the matter. They just look at the court’s decision. Although we didn’t kill anyone. No one was harmed by us. We are not terrorists or criminals. We lived by the principle there is no pain for others and brought benefits to society. For talking in the kitchen and reading books, we have been treated like terrorists since day one. You keep them in prisons, in inhumane conditions, violating all your treaties, including the IV Geneva Convention. Because of this attitude, Gafarov Dzhemil, a person involved in our case, has already died. Among the elderly defendants there are patients who need emergency medical care and have suffered strokes”,- he added.
As a result, the political prisoner thanked everyone who supported him, and especially lawyers and journalists.
Yashar Muedinov, in turn, called for an end to repression in Crimea.
“After darkness there always comes light. We all walk under the Lord God”,- the activist concluded.
The court denied this right to Ruslan Suleymanov because of his desire to speak in the Crimean Tatar language, and Rustem Sheykhaliev was unable to speak due to technical problems in video conferencing.
The court session was held via video link, but it was constantly interrupted, and the judge decided to postpone the hearing to February 1.
We remind you that on March 27, 2019, Russian security forces in occupied Crimea conducted mass searches in 26 houses of Crimean Tatars. Literature was confiscated from some activists, which, according to Crimean Solidarity, was planted by the security forces themselves. In addition to books and brochures, people’s phones, tablets, laptops, and passports were confiscated. The security forces behaved rudely. It is reported that they used physical force against the detainees. They entered houses wearing shoes. Lawyers who arrived at the search site were not allowed to see their clients. As a result, 20 people were detained who were 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 their houses were searched in their absence. On March 27-28, the occupation court arrested all 23 Crimean Tatar activists detained after searches.