Freedom House urges Russian Federation to release Kurbedinov and Saliev

The international human rights organization Freedom House urged the immediate release of lawyer Emil Kurbedinov and activist Seyran Saliev, who were illegally arrested in the annexed Crimea on January 26.

“Russia should release Kurbedinov and Saliev and should begin complying with the international law on occupation. Russian forces’ repeated violation of basic legal principles has made Crimea an area where fundamental human rights no longer apply, and where there is little hope for legal challenges to the security forces’ whims”, – said Robert Herman, vice president of the Freedom House for international programs, in a statement. The statement was published on the Facebook page of the Freedom House.

As a reminder, on January 26, lawyer Emil Kurbedinov was found guilty of an administrative violation under the Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation (displaying fascist or nazi attributes and symbols, or attributes or symbols of extremist organizations) and arrested for a term of 10 days.

Activist Seyran Saliev, who was detained on January 26 by the Russian security forces in the annexed Crimea, was found guilty under two articles (Article 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation (production and dissemination of extremist materials) and Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (displaying fascist or nazi attributes and symbols, or attributes or symbols of extremist organizations) and arrested for a term of 12 days.

On January 26, a search was conducted in the house of Crimean Tatar activist Seyran Saliev in Bakhchisarai, according to the relatives, the Russian security forces were searching for banned literature. Saliev was taken to the District Department of Internal Affaris of Bakhchisarai of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

On the same day, a car with lawyer Emil Kurbedinov and Edem Semedliaev was stopped by the Russian RPS (Road Patrol Service) in the Crimea. Later FSB officers arrived at the scene and detained Emil Kurbedinov.

It was also reported that the search was conducted in the office and home of the lawyer.

Emil Kurbedinov is the lawyer of several defendants in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir” case, of the defendants in the “case of February 26” and the lawyer of Crimean 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. Polozov himself assesses his arrest as a kidnapping.