U.S. Embassy calls on Russia to stop unjust detentions of Crimean Tatars

28.03.2019 11:24

Ukrinform

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine expressed concern over the raids and detentions, which the Russian security officers conducted in the occupied Crimea.

“We are extremely concerned by Russia’s raids and massive intimidation targeting Crimean Tatars. We call on the Russian government to cease its unjust arrests, detentions, searches, and persecution of Crimean Tatars, activists, and journalists,” the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine posted on Twitter.

As reported, the court in the occupied Simferopol arrested nine Crimean Tatar activists suspected of involvement in the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is recognized in Russia and the annexed Crimea as a terrorist organization.

On the morning of March 27, the officers of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the National Guard of the Russian Federation conducted searches in at least 25 houses of Crimean Tatars in the annexed Crimea within the framework of criminal cases, which had been opened against several residents of Crimea suspected of participating in the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir religious organization.