Genichesk district ‘court’ of Kherson region passed a sentence on 58-year-old Khalil Kurtamet, a resident of the village of Novoalekseevka. He was accused of participation in the Crimean Tatar volunteer battalion named after Noman Chelebidzhikhan, which Russia considers a ‘terrorist organisation’.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the FSB rf in the Kherson region. ‘The court‘ found Khalil Kurtamet guilty and sentenced him to 8 years’ imprisonment in a strict regime colony.
According to the investigation, in 2015, the man provided his own hotels in Genichesk district for accommodation of members of the battalion, which allegedly became the key evidence of his participation in the activities of the battalion. In addition, among the papers that were found in his possession during the search was a document ‘Establishment of the Center for the provision of administrative services in the settlement of Novoalekseevka’, where the Crimean Tatar Resource Center was indicated. Although public hearings on this topic were held before the occupation of Kherson region.
According to the CTRC, Khalil Kurtamet was an ordinary businessman and owned the hotel ‘Ai-Petri’ on the Arabat Spit, which the occupants ‘seized’ after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The man did not even have any pages in social networks and did not publish anything related to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In addition, it is worth noting that his son Appaz Kurtamet is also behind bars due to political persecution by the occupation ‘authorities’. He received 7 years in prison for lending 500 hryvnias to his acquaintance, who, as Appaz learnt after making the money transfer, serves in the ‘Crimea’ battalion.
Both cases demonstrate the systematic pressure on Crimean Tatars, which is often accompanied by the imprisonment of entire families.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center strongly protests and states 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 CTRC demands the immediate release of Khalil and Appaz Kurtamet, as well as all political prisoners of Crimea who are subjected to repression for their civic position.