Russians raid homes of Crimean Tatars and take four women to FSB in Simferopol

Anastasia Protz - 15 October, 11:57

Crimean Tatar political prisoner Remzi Nimetulaiev with his wife Esma and child. Photo: Crimean Solidarity

Russian security forces raided the homes of Crimean Tatars and detained four women in temporarily occupied Crimea on the morning of 15 October.

Source: Refat Chubarov, Chair of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People

Details: According to Chubarov, the raids took place in the Bakhchysarai district and in villages administratively belonging to Sevastopol. All those detained were taken by the Russians to Simferopol, to what is known as the Federal Security Service Directorate of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

Among the detainees is Esma Nimetulaieva, a mother of many children and the wife of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Remzi Nimetulaiev, who was sentenced by the occupation authorities to imprisonment on fabricated charges.

According to human rights organisation Crimean Solidarity, searches have also taken place:

at the home of Nasyba Saidova in the village of Kholmivka, the Bakhchysarai district
at the home of Elviza Aliieva in the village of Dolynne
at the home of Elianora Osmanova in the village of Orlivka

Aliia Bekirova, the 73-year-old mother of detainee Esma Nimetulaieva, told Crimean Solidarity that Russian security forces came to their home with a search warrant at 04:00. Esma saw the police through the window, warned her family not to worry and opened the door so that they would not break in. Bekirova recalled that her daughter was taken to another room while she was ordered to sit with her grandchildren. The security officers did not show a search warrant.

They even turned over the children's room and then went down to the basement. They confiscated two phones, including the children's, but later returned them after inspection.

"While Esma was getting ready, they followed her one by one, not leaving her unattended. She was taken to the FSB headquarters at about 07:00 – three hours after the search began," Bekirova said.

She added that during the search, the security officers told her that the children could "be taken into state custody" if there was no legal guardian.

Quote from Aliia Bekirova: "They told me: 'You'll stay with your grandchildren, you can apply for guardianship. If not, the state will take the children'. … I asked: 'Why are you doing this? When the parents are alive, you are making the children orphans. What have they done wrong? They are practising their religion – what right do you have to treat us this way?'"

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