The forced psychiatric confinement and examination of the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Ilmi Umerov, who was charged of separatism, represents a clear violation of international human rights standards, an official spokesman for the EU External Action Service reported.

The European Union remains committed to fully implementing its policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

"We call for his immediate release and, given the serious concerns over his health, urgent and appropriate medical care must be ensured," reads a communiqué issued in Brussels on Saturday.

The European Union has said that the rights of the Crimean Tatars have been gravely attacked through the banning of the activities of the Mejlis, the self-governing body of Crimean Tatars, and by labeling it "an extremist organization".

"We reiterate our call for all Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by Russia, including Oleh Sentsov and Oleksander Kolchenko, who were sentenced one year ago in breach of international law and elementary standards of justice, to be guaranteed a safe return to Ukraine.

As reported, on May 12, investigators at the Crimean branch of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal inquiry against Ilmi Umerov on suspicion of inciting violation of Russia's territorial integrity. The de facto prosecutor of the annexed Crimea Natalia Poklonskaya wrote on her Facebook page that in March 2016, Umerov spoke live on ATR television, where he publicly called for the need to violate Russia's territorial integrity. Subsequently, Umerov's speeches were posted to the Internet.

Investigators of the Crimean FSB Head Department opened a criminal case against Umerov on suspicion of violation incitement of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

On May 13, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea opened criminal proceedings under Article 146, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal deprivation of liberty or kidnapping) and Article 162, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the inviolability of property). He is accused of calling for public action to change the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

On August 11, in Simferopol, the court granted the petition of the FSB investigator on Umerov’s forensic psychiatric examination.

During the court's sitting, an investigator attached the doctor's interrogation report to the case. They indicate Umerov’s neurological diseases could lead to psychiatric problems. At the same time, the defense requested an examination by doctors for their client. A neurologist and psychiatrist, who were questioned by the investigator along with the attending physician, testified about the need for a psychiatric examination. According to lawyer Mykola Polozov, the observations of the doctors are probabilistic in nature. No one of them had seen or talked to Umerov, but made their conclusions on the basis of an abstract from a medical card. The court rejected the appeal.

On August 21, Umerov lawyers said that they regarded psychological and psychiatric examination of their client as torture and would appeal to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Umerov's lawyer Mark Feygin said, "We regard psychological and psychiatric examination of Umerov in the state of deteriorating health conducted in the hospital of Simferopol as torture."