Umerov, Chiygoz handed over to Turkey

Representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov, who were convicted in the occupied Crimea, have been handed over to Turkey, Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev has told the Ukrainska Pravda news site.

According to him, Chiygoz and Umerov were first brought to Simferopol, Crimea, then a plane took them to Anapa, Russia, and about an hour ago the airplane with them left for Ankara.

Dzhemilev added that this exchange was possible due to the agreements reached during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Ukraine.

On September 11, a court in Russia-annexed Crimea sentenced Chiygoz to eight years in a strict-regime colony. His defense team filed two appeals against this court decision.

The Russian authorities of the occupied Crimea charged him with organizing mass riots.

On September 27, a Kremlin-controlled court in Simferopol sentenced Umerov to two years in prison.

Deputies of the European Parliament condemned the verdicts passed by the Russian authorities with respect to Umerov and Chiygoz.

op