Group of Crimean Tatars jailed for 13-19 years in Russian-occupied Crimea

Five defendants in the so-called "Crimean Muslims case" have been handed down prison sentences of between 13 and 19 years by a court in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. The defendants, from the Crimean city of Dzhankoi, had been charged with alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organisation banned in Russia but legal in most other countries.

Source: the Krymska Solidarnist (Crimean Solidarity) civic movement and Krym.Realii (Crimea.Realities), a project by Radio Liberty

Details: Activist Enver Krosh was given a 19-year sentence, Edem Bekirov and Rinat Aliiev 15 years each, journalist Vilen Temerianov 14 years, and Seitiaha Abbozov 13 years.

The court has ruled that Krosh will spend the first four years of his term in prison and the rest in a strict-regime penal colony. The other defendants have each been given three years in prison followed by the remainder of their terms in a penal colony.

Quote from Enver Krosh: "I firmly declare that I have nothing to do with terrorism or any seizure of power. Moreover, I consider it completely absurd that so much time has been spent trying to work all this out."

More details: In his closing remarks, Krosh's lawyer Emil Kurbedinov said that none of the defendants or their defence teams "expect a fair outcome in such a highly politicised criminal reprisal".

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