Seven people who were detained by police in Bakhchysarai on April 13 have been given fines starting from 10,000 rubles and up to 12 days of administrative arrest, lawyer Edem Semedlyayev said.
One of the Crimean Tatars was given a fine, another one was given two days of administrative arrest, two were given three days of arrest each, two were given seven days of arrest each, and one was given 12 days, the lawyer said in a video commentary.
The hearings in the Bakhchysarai District Court ended late at night.
In the meantime, the Crimean Interior Ministry said on its website on the evening of April 13 that “computer equipment, mobile phones and extremist literature” had been found in the residences of two residents of Bakhchysarai, aged 22 and 34.
An administrative protocol was made against the former based on Article 20.2.2 of the Russian Code of Administrative Violations (organization of mass simultaneous stay and/or movement of citizens in public places leading to violations of public order) and Article 20.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Violations (propaganda or public demonstration of attributes or symbols of extremist organizations).
Administrative protocols were made against the latter man based on Articles 20.3 and 20.29 of the Russian Code of Administrative Violations (production and dissemination of extremist materials).
Semedlyayev told Interfax earlier on April 13 that the police has searched the houses of two Crimean Tatars. They had allegedly posted attributes of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization prohibited in Russia, on social networking sites. Their neighbors and relatives came to support them. Six people were detained and one was later released. The others are accused of participating in an unauthorized rally.
Olga Kondrashova, press officer for the republic’s Interior Ministry, has called the searches in Bakhchrisaray routine events aimed at “locating and detaining people involved in the activities of an organization prohibited in Russia.”
“One law enforcement officer had to fire a preventive shot in the air to curb illegal activities by the group of citizens,” Kondrashova told Interfax.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine regards the detention of eight Crimean Tatars in the territory of the occupied Crimea as an element of strengthening Russia’s policy of intimidation and has called on foreign partners to increase pressure on Russia to end this political persecution.
