Kyiv calls on intl community to increase pressure on Russia in connection with unlawful sentencing of five Crimean Tatars
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its resolute protest to the Russian Federation regarding the unlawful sentencing of Tymur Abdullaev, Useir Abdullaev, Rustem Ismailov, Emil Dzhemedenov and Aider Saledinov, all citizens of Ukraine, by the North Caucasian district military court which was based on fabricated charges of the involvement of the aforementioned individuals in the activities of a terrorist organization.
"Just like the previous cases, the so-called "court" rejected the arguments of the defense rightfully appealing to the absence of the evidence base as well as the criminal wrongdoing itself in the actions of the five mentioned Ukrainian citizens – defendants in the so-called "Simferopol Hizb ut-Tahrir case". Instead, the "judges" fully supported the prosecution in determining the "punishment" for Ukrainian citizens," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on Tuesday.
The Foreign Ministry recalls that according to the decision of the court, Tymur Abdullaev was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment in the colony of a strict regime, Rustem Ismailov - up to 14 years, Useir Abdullaev - up to 13 years, Aider Saledinov and Emil Zemadenov - to 12 years imprisonment.
Kyiv considers this a clear indication of the strong bias and political vassalage of the Russian judicial system, as well as "yet another example of the Russian occupation administration's use of anti-terror legislation as a cover up for political repressions against representatives of the Crimean Tatar people."
"We call on the international community to condemn these unlawful decisions and to strengthen pressure on the aggressor state through political-diplomatic means and sanctions in order to stop Russia from violating human rights in the temporarily occupied Crimea, to release all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine in the Russian Federation and ultimately restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders," the statement reads.
The Ministry stresses that the Russian Federation must implement to their full the resolutions of the UN General Assembly "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" of 27 March 2014, "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" of December 19, 2016, December 19, 2017 and December 22, 2018, and the order of the International Court of Justice regarding provisional measures in the case of Ukraine vs. Russia regarding the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.