To United Nations
Council of Europe
European Union
Other International Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and
Governments of foreign states

During the last month the human rights situation in Crimea has seriously deteriorated. Occupational authorities demonstratively violate human rights within systematic repressive policy toward civil population of Crimea.

Thus, five persons have been sentenced to deprivation of liberty based on politically-motivated grounds; during just one week of August there have been three searches in different districts of Crimea; a citizen of Ukraine has been detained allegedly on sabotage; 76-years-old activist was arrested for 10 days for one-man picket and four other elderly men who organized one man solidarity pickets have been detained; administrative fines for civil activism have became massive. Detentions and prosecution are arbitrary in character, with a disproportionate use of force, aimed at deterrence and suppressing of any activity.

Considering the above-mentioned, on behalf of the organizations signed below, we ask you to take the possible measures within your mandates to protest against such practices and to facilitate its immediate termination.

Background information:

On August 8, 2017 in Simferopol a 76-years-old veteran of the Crimean Tatar national liberation movement Server Karametov was arrested for 10 days. He held a single-man picket near the Supreme Court building in support of the Mejlis chairman deputy Akhtem Chiygoz. The detention was carried out with the disproportionate use of force; Mr. Karametov had been kept in the police car from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, without food, medicines and toilet. During the trial a number of procedural guarantees were violated, including the access to lawyer and interpreter. The appeal court has left the sentence in force despite its obvious disproportionate character. Server Karametov has already been in Simferopol SIZO for five days and his health state raises serious concerns.

On August 14, 2017 four elderly men have held the single man pickets in Simferopol in support of Serever Karametov. All of them have been detained with the other activists and the human rights defenders. One of the participants has been sentences to the administrative fine of 10 thousand rubles.

For the last month five persons have been sentenced to deprivation of liberty based on politically-motivated grounds: Emil Minasov (for the post in social network) – 1 year and 3 months of imprisonment, Aleksei Stogniy (the so called “saboteurs” case) – 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment, Ruslan Zeytullaev – 15 years of imprisonment, Vladimir Balukh – 3 years and 7 months of imprisonment and a fine of 10 thousand rubles (about 170 US dollars) , Redvan Suleymanov (the so-called “saboteurs” case) – 1 year and 8 months of imprisonment and the compensation for damage of 3.5 million rubles (about 58 thousand US dollars). The court, for the first time in Russian judicial practice, calculated the compensation in non-transparent way within the sentence of Redvan Suleimanov. On September 11, 2017 the sentence to the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people chairman deputy Ahtem Chyigoz will be decided. The prosecutor demands the punishment of 8 years of imprisonment.

On August 15 the detention of the citizen of Ukraine Gennadiy Limeshko in Crimea accused by de facto authorities in preparation of sabotage acts was announced by Russian security services.

The administrative fines for the solidarity activism become massive. In July, the administrative fines from 2 to 10 thousand rubles were sentenced by Rustem Mennanov (for mentioning the Mejlis in the social network), Bilyal Adilov (allegedly for threats against the policeman) and Nariman Memedeminov (for the presence during the search of Seidamat Mustafayev’s house). Moreover, three activists were sentenced to the large fines (150-300.000 rubles) for participating in spontaneous assemblies near the Crimean Tatars’ homes, where searches and detentions were conducted: Osman Belyalov and Emil Bilyalov (fine for the second participation in the spontaneous assembly during searches at neighbors’ house), the Bakhchsarai area inhabitant Zarema (for pro-Ukrainian posts on the Internet). The activists can not pay that fines by their own, as a result the property confiscation threatens them.

Just in one week of August three searches were held in various regions of Crimea: August 2 – Mamet Kurkchi, Soviet district; August 9 – Umer Emiramzaiev, Kirovskoe village; August 10 – Ibrahim Mirpochaiev, Novoklenovo village Belogorsky district. The searches were conducted as a special operation: law enforcement officers blocked the roads, warned the assembled local residents about the responsibility for the “unauthorized mass meeting”. A large number of special equipment and armed officers of security services were present. As a result of the search in the Kirovsk village, the ambulance was called for Umer Emirzaiev.

We consider the recent developments as a part of Russian repressive policy against the civil population of Crimea, and a violation of fundamental norms and principles of international human rights law and humanitarian law.

Daria Sviridova, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
Maria Tomak, Media Initiative for Human Rights
Tamila Tasheva, CrimeaSOS
Oleksandra Matviychuk, Center for Civil Liberties
Tetiana Pechonchyk, Human Rights Information Center