Russia has illegally taken the 23 Crimean Solidarity activists arrested on March 27 and 28 from occupied Crimea, without giving the men a chance to even contact their families. The move was carried out in secret, and is almost certainly aimed at ensuring that the men do not receive proper legal defense and are isolated.
It is no wonder that analogies have been drawn since early morning on March 27 with the 1944 Deportation, since this is an evident attack on Crimean Tatars, carried out with immense brutality.
Journalist Anton Naumlyuk reported on March 30 that the 23 men have been separated and are being held in three different Rostov SIZO (remand prisons), as well as SIZO in Shakhty and Taganrog. In one of the Rostov prisons, he says, they have vacated cells in the special block in order to hold the men in isolation.
There is conflicting information as to whether the FSB has detained Edem Yayachikov, the 24th Crimean Solidarity activist who was not at home when the FSB and other masked and armed enforcement officers burst into 25 or more homes on the outskirts of Symferopol on March 27.
It may well be no coincidence that Russia has, for the second time in less than six months, taken 24 Ukrainians prisoner. The 24 prisoners of war seized after Russia attacked three Ukrainian Navy vessles near Crimea on November 25, 2018, were also taken to Russia quickly and in secret. Their move came after an unprecedented outpouring of support for them from ordinary Crimeans.
The armed searches and arrests on March 27 and 28 signaled a sharp escalation in Russia’s attack on Crimean Tatars and its offensive against the Crimean Solidarity civic initiative, which helps political prisoners and their families, as well as publicizes acts of repression. Not one of the lawyers who sped to the men’s aid was admitted to the homes where armed searches were under way. Both during these arrests, and earlier ones on February 14, there were reports of so-called “prohibited literature” having been planted, and the FSB, Russia’s Federal Security Service, clearly didn’t want lawyers getting in their way.
The defense and general support that Crimean lawyers and activists linked with Crimean Solidarity have provided for political prisoners have, in general, made the FSB’s life more difficult in occupied Crimea. While powerless to prevent huge politically motivated sentences, they have served to highlight the monstrous nature of the charges and the fabrication of evidence, use of torture and other abuses common in such cases.
This is probably the reason why the FSB is resorting to both planting “prohibited literature” to “prove” the charges of involvement in the peaceful pan-Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is legal in Ukraine (and most countries).
It is surely also why three Crimean Tatar lawyers have already faced varying degrees of persecution, with Emil Kurbedinov subjected to two terms of administrative arrest and almost stripped of his right to practice. Clearly, one of the aims is to intimidate other lawyers and make them frightened of defending political prisoners. That has not, thus far, worked; however, it will undoubtedly be difficult to find lawyers for the 24 new political prisoners. Plus the fact that all the men will be in Russia can only further obstruct their right to a defense.
These new arrests are a frightening escalation in repression and demonstrate that Russia is no longer even trying to pretend that this is not an open offensive against those who speak out about its rights violations and, quite simply, against Crimean Tatars.
Each of the 24 men has been active in Crimean Solidarity efforts to help political prisoners and their families and/or in attending court hearings and reporting rights violations.
The prisoners
Izet Abdulaev, (born October 22,1986), has actively attended politically motivated court hearings. He and his wife have one child and are expecting a second.
Tofik Abdulgaziev, (born June 19, 1981), is a Crimean Solidarity activist who has done the sound recordings for Crimean Solidarity meetings and for the civic initiative for the children of political prisoners called Crimean Childhood, and has been involved in organizing events for the children. His three children are now among the 166 children whose fathers have been taken away.
Vladlen Abdulkadyrov, (born December 28, 1979), is an activist who was involved in organizing parcels of food, etc. for political prisoners. He has three children.
Medzhit Abdurakhmanov, (born February 2, 1975), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has two children.
Bilyal Adilov, (born May 27, 1970), is a religious figure who has also actively attended politically motivated court hearings. He has eight children.
Enver Ametov, (born August 2, 1975), actively attended politically motivated court hearings. He has three children.
Osman Arifmemetov, (born August 28, 1985), is an activist and Crimean Solidarity civic journalist. He has two children.
Farid Bazarov, (born August 22, 1986), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has four children.
Akim Bekirov, (born October 18, 1968), is a civic activist who was involved in organizing parcels of food, etc. for political prisoners, and in organizing IT security. His wife is expecting their second child.
Remzi Bekirov, (born February 20, 1985), is a Crimean Solidarity civic journalist. He has three children.
Dzhemil Gafarov, (born May 31, 1962), actively attended all politically motivated court hearings.
Servet Gaziev, (born April 15, 1960), actively attended all politically motivated court hearings.
Riza Izetov, (born January 24, 1979), is a human rights activist and Crimean Solidarity civic journalist. His wife is expecting their third child.
Alim Karimov, (born April 8, 1994), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has one child.
Seiran Murtaza, (born November 27, 1983), actively attended all politically motivated court hearings. He has two children.
Yashar Muyedinov, (born April 14, 1968), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has eight children.
Erfan Osmanov, (born September 3, 1982), actively attended all politically motivated court hearings. He has two children.
Seitveli Seitabdiev, (born March 16, 1994), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has two children.
Rustem Seitkhalilov, (born January 18, 1984), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has three children.
Rustem Sheikhaliev, (born June 22, 1979), is a Crimean Solidarity civic journalist. He has three children.
Ruslan Suleymanov, (born April 21, 1983), is a Crimean Solidarity civic journalist and activist. He has three children.
Shaban Umerov, (born October 22, 1969), is a Crimean Solidarity activist. He has three children.
Asan Yanikov, (born September 11, 1986), is a civic activist involved in organizing food parcels for political prisoners.
Edem Yayachikov, (born May 1, 1982), is a Crimean Solidarity activist, who actively attended all political court hearings. He has three children.
Fifty-five children have seen their fathers taken away, as had 111 before them.