Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov detained in Crimea, his office is being searched (updated)

Russian authorities of the occupied Crimea in Bakhchisarai detained lawyer Emil Kurbedinov.

As reported by the lawyer himself during a video broadcast on the Facebook social network.

“Just now were detained by the RPS (Road Patrol Service – ed.). We going to a search in Saliev’s house”, – he said.

In the video you can see how the car, with the lawyer in it, is approached with a group of people with weapons, Kurbedinov called this group “assault team”. Subsequently, the man, who is not visible on the video feed, presents himself as an officer of “the Department for Combating Extremism” and claims that the lawyer is “administratively detained”. After this the broadcast is interrupted.

On the morning of January 26, a search started in the house of Seyran Saliev in Bakhchisarai. Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov was heading to the search.

According to Kurbedinov, Seyran Saliev is a “social activist, who over the loudspeaker of the mosque announced about the searches in Bakhchisarai, when there were arrests in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir” case. “The court of Bakhchisarai” imposed a fine of 20,000 rubles on Seyran Saliev”.

Meanwhile, the authors of Crimean Political Prisoners webpage reported that office of lawyers Emil Kurbedinov and Edem Semedliaev is also being searched.

As reported by Anton Naumluk, the Zheleznodorozhnyi District Court will choose a preventive measure of restraint for Emil Kurbedinov. “Most likely that he was already charged with extremism”, – assumes the journalist.

Kurbedinov was detained under the Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. The Center for Combating Extremism accuses him of “dissemination of extremist materials”. This entails imposition of an administrative fine or an administrative arrest for a term up to fifteen days. The search of the house of Emil Kurbedinov is continuing.

As reported by the correspondent Human Rights Information Centre in the Crimea, the court hearing of the detained Emil Kurbedinov case begun. 10 OMON (Special Purpose Mobility Unit) officers entered the building. None of the present around the courthouse were allowed to enter, except for relatives and lawyers

Kurbedinov made a request about the participation of prosecutor during the court hearing. Judge Tatyana Belinchuk denied the request, because, as she said, this is an administrative case.

The name “Kuybediniv” is indicated incorrectly in the protocol on administrative violation. This has not concerned the judge. Although this is the basis for the cancelation of the protocol and cessation of the proceeding, noted the correspondent.

Emil Kurbedinov is a lawyer in several notable cases, which were commenced by the Russian authorities against the social activists in the Crimea. In particular, he is the defendant of several detainees in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir” case, “case of February 26”, lawyer of the Ilmi Umerov, the Deputy Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and the lawyer of journalist Mykola Semena.

As a reminder, on January 25, officers of the FSB detained lawyer Mykola Polozov, who is defendeding the interests of Ahtem Chiygoz, the Deputy Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and Ilmi Umerov in the court.