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Police officers twice stopped a delegation travelling from Crimea to Moscow for a meeting with the Human Rights Commissioner, reported “Crimean Solidarity.”
According to the publication, there were 16 people in the delegation: the parents of Esma Nimetulaeva, Elviza Alieva, Nasiba Saidova, and Fevziye Osmanova, who had been arrested; lawyer Nazim Sheikhammbetov; and elders of the Crimean Tatar community.
The first time, the delegation was stopped on the evening of 29 October in Voronezh region, a province in western Russia. According to the driver, traffic police demanded documents without giving any explanation and escorted part of the group to a police station. At the Boguchar police department, everyone’s passports were checked, and they were asked about the purpose of their trip. The other group was taken to a different police station—the name of which is unknown. All the detainees were released by 4 a.m.
On the morning of 30 October, the traffic police stopped the delegation again, this time in Lipetsk region, a province in central Russia. The group was threatened with special police forces and detention if they refused to go to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs office in Khlevensky District. There, three members were summoned for questioning and not released for over an hour. According to the delegates, law enforcement said the “checks for extremism” were necessary.
The day before, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea held appeal hearings for the lawyers of the arrested Crimean Tatar women: Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva, and Fevziye Osmanova.
The hearings took place without the women present, because since 23 October they have been undergoing a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. The court sessions were held behind closed doors.
Nimetulaeva, Alieva, Saidova, and Osmanova were arrested after searches on 15 October. All were sent to pre-trial detention. According to the investigation, they are suspected of involvement in activities of the party Hizb ut-Tahrir. Nimetulaeva is charged with organising the activities of a “terrorist organisation” (Part 1, Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code); the others—with participating in such activities (Part 2, Article 205.5).
This is the first Hizb ut-Tahrir-related case in Crimea in which women have been accused.
22:10 The Crimean Tatar delegation was detained for a third time within 24 hours, writes “Crimean Solidarity.”
Elvira Alieva, mother of Elviza Alieva, required an ambulance due to blood pressure problems.
31 October Police stopped the Crimean Tatar delegation for a fourth time as they travelled to Moscow to meet with the Human Rights Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova. This was reported by “Crimean Solidarity.”
They were stopped in the village of Koltovo, 120 kilometres from Moscow. Police took the delegation members’ passports and had their car searched by a police dog handler. Afterwards, the group was given official warnings against committing crimes, administrative offences, and “continued anti-social behaviour.”
The headline has been changed due to new information