Russian occupiers detain 13 Crimean Tatars, including two journalists, in Simferopol

In the temporarily occupied Simferopol, the Russian invaders detained at least 13 Crimean Tatars under the building of the Supreme Court of Crimea, who came to the court hearing regarding the consideration of the appeal in the case of Nariman Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers.

The Crimean Discourse, the Crimean Process, and the publication "Graty" write about this.

As the media reports, on the morning of July 27, at least 13 people (10 men and three women) were detained near the Supreme Court of Crimea who came to support Nariman Dzhelal, Asan Akhtemov, and Aziz Akhtemov. Among the detainees are both parents of Aziz Akhtemov and two journalists.

Arrested: Akhtemova Zarema, Akhtemov Eskender, Abliamitov Kerim, Useinov Rustem, Kurnosov Rustem, Akhtemov Server, Useinova Seyara, Teifuk Mansur, Abdurakhmanov Nariman, Mustafa Mustafayev, Dzhelyalov Ruslan, as well as journalist Lutfie Zudieva and citizen journalist Ibrahimov Kulamet.

As noted, the detainees were put on a bus and taken to the Railway station for identification. Family members of the defendants were not permitted to enter the courtroom.

According to the Russian security forces, the reason for the detention was a report to the 102 emergency service about a "violation of public law and order."

Crimean Discourse also writes that Crimean Tatars "more than three persons" are often reported to gather.

In turn, the publication "Graty" reported that the journalist Lutfie Zudieva, according to their editorial task, was to cover the court hearing in the Supreme Court of Crimea in the case of the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People [parliament of Crimean Tatars – ed.] Nariman Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers, accused by the Russian authorities of sabotage.

At first, Zudieva was refused entry to the courthouse, and later she was detained. Together with her, 12 more Crimean Tatars, relatives, and friends of Dzhelal and Akhtemov who came to the court and unsuccessfully tried to get to the open session were detained. Kulamet Ibraimov, a correspondent of the "Hrani" publication, is also among those detained.

During the detention, Zudieva showed a press card and stated that she was performing an editorial task, but the police ignored it.

Zudieva was also taken to the Railway District Police Department of Simferopol, where they tried to force her to hand over her fingerprints and saliva samples with threats. She refused.

As a result, an administrative protocol was drawn up on Zudieva about "participation in a mass simultaneous stay of citizens in a public place near the Supreme Court of Crimea… to further inform in the mass media." This confirms that the police were aware of Zudieva's journalistic status.

"Graty" notes that Zudieva covered the case of Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers from the very beginning and was supposed to write about the end of this story. The editors demand the immediate release of the journalist and other illegally detained Crimeans.

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It should be noted that the Russian Federation–controlled Kyiv District Court of Sevastopol sentenced Crimean Tatar Appaz Kurtamet to 7 years in prison for reportedly giving 500 hryvnias to the volunteer battalion "Crimea."