FSB takes away nine Crimean Tatars for questioning

The officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) have detained and taken away for questioning nine Crimean Tatars on suspicion of involvement in “a terrorist organization.”

Eight simultaneous searches took place in Crimea in the morning. The majority of searched people were detained. One man, the former employee of the ATR TV channel Rustem Osmanov, was released, the journalists report referring to lawyer Emil Kurbedinov.

“Three searches in Yalta, two searches in Bakhchisaray, two searches in Holmovka, Bakhchisaray district, one search in Alushta. A total of eight searches began at the same time. I am now trying to visit all these places. All the people searched by the FSB today are Crimean Tatars, Muslims. During one search, the person was given the order of the FSB division in Sevastopol, again referring to some kind of terrorist organization and participation in it,” Kurbedinov said to reporters of Crimea.Realities portal.

“In Yalta, all four persons searched were taken to the FSB department, the same happened in Holmovka. In Alushta, the search was conducted in the house of a Russian guy, he was also taken away. So far, only Rustem Osmanov from Bakhchisaray was released after interrogation,” he added in a commentary to the Center for Investigative Journalism.

According to him, Osmanov was asked whether he or his friends were members of a terrorist organization and whether they were going to Syria. Later, he was released.

Currently, the human rights activists are trying to find out the fate of other detainees.

As reported, the member of the Crimean Contact Group on Human Rights was detained in Crimea.