Supreme ‘court’ of the Russian Federation did not change the sentence to the participants of the ‘Alushta group’

The Supreme ‘court’ of Russia has upheld the sentence of four participants in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case sentenced to long prison terms. This was reported by the lawyer Emil Kurbedinov to ‘Crimean Solidarity’ public association.

The cassation appeal was considered on 28 August. During the meeting Eldar Kantimirov, Lenur Khalilov, Ruslan Mesutov and Ruslan Nagaev stated that they wanted to succeed in their native Crimean Tatar language and asked to identify an interpreter. The court refused to do so.

‘In my speech, I said that even if the court concludes that they are brilliant in Russian, it should not be that a person who speaks their native language was deprived of such rights. When they spoke in the first technology court, they were cut off without being allowed to enter the debate and with the last word. … Isn’t that discrimination? The court could even not interrupt at all, write in the verdict that these people spoke in Crimean Tatar, and the court did not understand them. It was possible to do different things, but not to have such a formula that a person is deprived of some rights,’ -said lawyer Kurbedinov.

The court did not satisfy any of the arguments of the defence and left the verdict in force.

‘We managed to do it with our defendants. There are elderly people there, already not young, as let’s say. The health of all of them is deteriorating. Morally holding on,’ – added Emil Kurbedinov.

Photo: ‘Crimean Solidarity’