Former Kremlin prisoner from Crimea Nariman Dzhelyal to head Ukraine's embassy in Turkey
Nariman Dzhelyal, the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and a former Kremlin prisoner, will become Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this during his evening address on Friday, December 20.
As a reminder, on September 4, 2021, Dzhelyal was detained by Russian security forces in occupied Crimea over allegations of "sabotage on a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne."
On September 21, 2022, the Russian-controlled Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced Dzhelyal in the case of sabotage on the Perevalne gas pipeline to 17 years in a maximum-security colony, a fine of 700,000 rubles, and an additional 1.5 years of restricted freedom.
On June 28, 2024, ten civilians illegally detained by the Russian Federation were successfully returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. Among them was Nariman Dzhelyal, the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
