KYIV. Sept 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Crimean Tatar activist Edem Bekirov, who returned to Ukraine after the prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, feels good following a surgery, his status of accused in the criminal case remains, his lawyer Alexei Ladin has said.

The lawyer said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday that Bekirov was detained in Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents in December 2018 for alleged handing over explosives and cartridges. The accusation was based only on witness' evidence, who is unlikely to exist, according to defense.

According to Ladin, despite serious health problems of his client (heart ailments and an amputated leg), Bekirov was detained and was held in a pretrial detention center.

"He continues to be in the status of the accused," the lawyer said, emphasizing that it is difficult to imagine how this criminal case will be investigated. Ladin added that a hearing is scheduled for September 13, and expressed the hope that the prosecutor's office will withdraw the charge.

The lawyer also said that the defense has every reason to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

As for Bekirov's state of health, the lawyer said that a heart operation was performed at the Feofania clinic. "At present, everything is fine with him. He feels good," Ladin said.

In turn, the daughter of the Crimean Tatar activist, Eleanora Bekirova urged to fight for every person illegally detained on political charges in Crimea. "Crimean Tatars remained in the pretrial detention center, and not only they need our support," she said.

Bekirova handed out a list of 86 names of people who are victims of political repression in Crimea.

"We must fight for the release of every prisoner, for the liberation of Crimea," coordinator of the nongovernmental association KrymSOS Tamila Tasheva said.

Bekirov is one of the Crimean Tatar public activists of the village of Novooleksiyivka. His wife Gulnara is a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People. He was detained on December 12, 2018 at the entrance to Crimea from the side of Chonhar (Kherson region) while undergoing passport control in the territory controlled by Russian occupiers.