No one is spared in the occupied Crimea. People are repressed regardless of age and gender: men, women, young and old, as well as minors.
As you know, the youth in Ukraine has always been the engine of change, which defended and now defends the values of democracy and freedom, including in the occupied Crimea. Unfortunately, young people are subjected to terrible repressions on the peninsula for their active citizenship.
According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, 21 young people were subjected to political persecution by the occupying authorities, 17 of whom are representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, namely:
- Appaz Kurtamet, 20 years old
The guy was detained in July 2022 in Novooleksiivka, and on April 21, 2023 he was sentenced to 7 years in prison for lending 500 hryvnias to his friend from the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion.
2. Bohdan Ziza, 28 years old
The guy was accused of violating Art. 30 h.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (attempt to commit a crime) and Art. 167 part 2 (deliberate destruction or damage of other people’s property…) because he painted the building of the occupational administration of the city of Evpatoria with the colors of the national flag of Ukraine. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Now he is in a pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don.
3. Leniiie Umerova, 25 years old
A Crimean Tatar woman was illegally held in captivity for more than 5 months for far-fetched reasons, and as a result she was arrested for 2 months on suspicion of high treason. Now she is in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center.
4. Andrii Kolomiiets, 30 years old
In the summer of 2016, the guy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly attempting to assassinate employees of the Crimean Berkut in 2014. Now he is in a pre-trial detention center in Krasnodar.
5. Asan Akhtemov, 34 years old
He was detained on September 3, 2021 on charges of blowing up a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalnoye. On September 21, 2022, Asan Akhtemov was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Now he is in the pre-trial detention center of Crimea.
6. Dilyaver Gafarov, 27 years old
On August 28, 2019, the invaders sentenced Dilyaver Gafarov to 10 years in prison for participating in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion. He is currently in a colony in the Stavropol Territory.
7. Eskender Abdulhaniiev, 26 years old
On November 3, 2020, Eskender Abdulhaniiev was sentenced to 12 years in prison for violating Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization). He was allegedly accused of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. He is currently in a colony in the city of Vladimir.
8. Aziz Akhtemov, 27 years old
The guy was detained on September 3, 2021 on charges of blowing up a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne. On September 21, 2022, Aziz Akhtemov was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Now he is in the pre-trial detention center of Crimea.
9. Alim Karimov, 29 years old
On January 11, 2023, Alim Karimov was sentenced to 12 years in prison for violating Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization). He was allegedly accused of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. He is currently in a colony in the Rostov region.
10. Arsen Dzhepparov, 32 years old
The guy has already served his sentence of 7 years in prison in the Republic of Bashkortostan. He was charged with Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a terrorist organization and participation in it) and Art. 278 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power). He was allegedly accused of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. That is, he was arrested at the age of 25.
11. Albert Kruhlov, 23 years old
The guy was detained in Alushta and accused of participation in the activities of a terrorist organization and preparation for treason. Now he is in the pre-trial detention center of Crimea.
12. Enver Krosh, 32 years old
The guy was detained on August 11, 2022. He was allegedly accused of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. Now he is in the pre-trial detention center of Crimea.
13. Artur Memetshaiev, 33 years old
The guy was detained on April 18, 2022 in Henichesk. On October 17, 2022, the occupants sentenced Artur Memetshaiev to 6.5 years in prison for participating in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion.
The guy was detained on May 30, 2023 on the seafront in the occupied Simferopol. He is accused of illegal possession of weapons (Art. 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
15.Abdulmedzhit Seytumerov, 24 years old
The guy was detained on August 25, 2023 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”.
16.Ayder Asanov, 31 years old
The guy was detained on January 24, 2023 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”.
17.Amethan Abdulvapov, 35 years old
The guy was detained on February 9, 2023 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”.
18.Alim Sufyanov, 34 years old
The guy was detained on July 7, 2020 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”.
19.Osman Seytumerov, 31 years old
The guy was detained on March 11, 2020 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir” and has already been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
20.Raim Ayvazov, 30 years old
The guy was detained on April 17, 2019 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir” and has already been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
21.Refat Alimov, 33 years old
The guy was detained on April 18, 2016 in Crimea. He was accused of allegedly participating in the organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”. He has already served his sentence of 7 years in prison.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center considers these actions of the occupiers a gross violation of the norms of international law, which prohibit the application of occupational legislation in the occupied territories.
We consider these persecutions illegal, politically motivated and criminal. This policy of the occupiers is aimed at intimidation in order to force proactive youth to leave the peninsula.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center strongly protests and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners and the prosecution of those involved in the persecution of Ukrainian citizens.
P.S.According to the Law of Ukraine “On Promotion of Social Formation and Development of Youth in Ukraine”, citizens between the age of 14 and 35 are considered to be young people.
May 6, 2024
Today we would like to present you an English-language article titled “Crimea and the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict” dated 2015, authored by Anton Bebler – professor of political science at the University of Ljubljana. He is the author of numerous books on various topics in international relations, comparative political systems, military policy and regional studies.
It is worth noting that the main focus of the article was to determine the degree of (un)legality of rf’s actions to occupy and attempt to annex Crimea.
The purpose of this article is to explain the historical, demographic, legal, political and military-strategic prerequisites for the occupation of Crimea, and to analyze the similarities and differences between this situation and other “frozen” conflicts on the periphery of the former Soviet Union. In addition, the author raises the question of the role of the three main parties directly involved in the Crimean conflict.