On Thursday, 15 August, the occupation court sentenced a resident of Kherson, political prisoner Iryna Horobtsova to 10.5 years of colony allegedly for ‘espionage’.
We would like to remind that Iryna Horobtsova was kidnapped on 13 May 2022. For a long time her whereabouts were unknown. Only on 6 July 2022 the Crimean Tatar Resource Centre became aware that the woman is in the FSB custody – in the pre-trial detention centre in Akmesdzhit (Simferopol). The woman was accused of ‘espionage’.
It should be noted that the charges in this ‘case’ are based on the testimony of ‘hidden witnesses’ and the conclusion of so-called experts who actively cooperate with the Russian security forces. The consideration of the case took place in flagrant violation of international law.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Centre strongly protests and declares that this decision is illegal, politically motivated and criminal. This policy of the Russian Federation is a demonstration of the struggle against the political beliefs of citizens in the occupied Crimea.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Centre demands the cancellation of the sentence of the defendant in the case and the immediate release of other political prisoners.