The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest in connection with the illegal detention of citizens of Ukraine, participants of the Crimean Tatar social movement 'Crimean Solidarity', Server Mustafayev and Edem Smailov, in the occupied Crimea.

"During the searches that preceded the detention, psychological pressure was put on Mustafayev, Smailov and their relatives, and access to lawyers was denied by the Russian invaders. According to the information available, the Russian occupation administration plans to attach the mentioned citizens of Ukraine to the so-called "Hizb ut-Tahrir case," whose political motivation was repeatedly pointed out by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry," a statement published on the official website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday, reads.

The Foreign Ministry notes that the detention of Mustafayev and Smailov once again confirmed that Russian anti-terrorism legislation is widely used in the occupied Crimea to cover political repressions against representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.

"We call upon the international community to condemn this shameful practice, which, along with Russia's support for terrorists in Donbas, shows a real price to the Kremlin's statements on a "Russian contribution" to the international fight against terrorism. We expect from our international partners to strengthen political and diplomatic pressure on the aggressor state with the goal of releasing citizens of Ukraine illegally detained by the Russian Federation," the Foreign Ministry said in its comment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also demands that the Russian Federation "immediately stop politically motivated persecution of representatives of the Crimean Tatar people," release Mustafayev, Smailov and all other illegally detained citizens of Ukraine.

"The Russian Federation must fully comply with the UN General Assembly resolution "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine" dated March 27, 2014, "Situation with Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol (Ukraine)" dated December 19, 2016 and December 19, 2017, and the order of the International Court of Justice on precautionary measures in the framework of the lawsuit of Ukraine versus the Russian Federation regarding the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," it says.

As reported, on Monday, head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, said that in the morning of May 21, searches were carried out in the homes of Mustafayev and Smailov, after which Mustafayev was arrested and taken out by the FSB officers, and Smailov was still at home with employees of the FSB. Later, the press service of the Crimean Chief Department of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation announced the "disclosure of the activities of an extremist group created by Assistant to the Verkhovna Rada deputy Mustafa Jemilev, Erol Veliyev, organized on the orders of wanted person Chubarov with the support of the Security Service."

Chubarov called such a statement of the Russian FSB an attempt to discredit the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people before the international community. "Obviously, we are eyewitnesses, and many are direct victims of new repressions and large-scale provocations unfolding in Crimea occupied by Russia. Especially during these days the International Court of the United Nations demanded from Russia explanations of the reasons for its failure to comply with the decision of the Court dated April 2017 on abolishment of the ban on activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people," he said.