Three political prisoners from Crimea freed after nine years in Russian penal colony – photos

Three Crimean Tatar political prisoners, Remzi Memetov, Zevri Abseitov and Rustem Abiltarov, have been released after spending nine years in a Russian penal colony in connection with their alleged involvement in the Bakhchysarai group of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation in Russia. The men served the entire term. 

Source: Crimean Solidarity, a human rights movement, on Facebook

Details: Memetov served his sentence in penal colony No. 11, Abiltarov and Abseitov in penal colony No. 1 in Stavropol.

Political prisoners Rustem Abiltarov and Zevri Abseitov.

Photo: Crimean Solidarity

Background:

• On 12 May 2016, Russian security forces conducted a series of searches in the homes of Muslims and Crimean Tatars in Bakhchysarai, as well as in a local café. As a result, four residents of Bakhchysarai were detained and charged with terrorism: Zevri Abseitov, Remzi Memetov, Rustem Abiltarov and Enver Mamutov. They were suspected of participating in Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is deemed a terrorist organisation in Russia.
• On 24 December 2018, the Southern District Military Court sentenced Memetov, Abiltarov and Abseitov to nine years in prison and Mamutov to 17 years. On 11 July 2019, Russia’s Supreme Court reduced all four sentences by three months.

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