Arrest of seven Crimean Tatars extended till May

20.03.2020 12:48

Ukrinform

The Southern Military District Court of Rostov-on-Don town in the Russian Federation refused to sustain the appeals of seven members of the so-called second Bakhchysarai group in Hizb ut-Tahrir case and extended their arrest till May 13.

"The court hearing in Hizb ut-Tahrir (second Bakhchisaray) case took place in the Southern Military District Court of Rostov-on-Don on March 19, 2020. During the hearing, the defense appealed against the court's decision to extend the arrest for three months... The court did not sustain the appeals of the lawyers. The defendants will remain in the pre-trial detention center until May 13, 2020," the NGO "Crimean Solidarity" reports.

Lawyer Alexei Ladin said in a commentary to the Crimean Solidarity that the hearing lasted all day.

The defendants in the fabricated case expressed their attitude to the unjust persecution and pointed out the lack of grounds for extended arrest. They insisted that it was impossible to stay in a pre-trial detention center in inhumane conditions amid the spread of coronavirus.

However, the court upheld the previous ruling. The Southern Military District Court of Rostov-on-Don began to examine the merits of the case on November 15, 2019. More than 30 court hearings have already taken place.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a pan-Islamist organization which is described in the Chatham House study Transnational Islam in Russia and Crimea as tending “to avoid violent means and instead may focus on social work, education and dialogue initiatives”. The organization is banned only in Russia, Uzbekistan and some Arab countries.