MFA of Ukraine protests over the detention of Crimean Muslims in Bakhchisaray

The Russian FSB has detained four Crimean Tatars in the annexed Crimea, who are accused of membership in the organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami". The Ukrainian foreign Ministry calls on European partners to increase pressure on Moscow, DW reports.

The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Ukraine has protested against another wave of illegal searches and detentions of Crimean Tatars by the Russian occupation authorities in the Bakhchisaray district in Crimea.

"As of now, it is known about the illegal detention of at least four Ukrainian citizens - Amet Suleymanov, Seitumer Seitumerov, Osman Seitumerov and Rustem Seitmemetov. Ignoring its international legal obligations as an occupying state, Russia continues to perceive the factor of the indigenous people of Crimea as a threat to the occupation regime," the foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, March 11.

They stressed that Russia continues to abuse anti-terrorist legislation, using false accusations of terrorism to persecute Crimean Tatar activists.

"We call on international partners to increase political, economic and sanctions pressure on the aggressor state in order to stop Russia's violations of human rights in the temporarily occupied Crimea," the Ministry insists.

Earlier, the Russian FSB in Crimea announced the detention of four Crimean Tatars who are accused of membership in the organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami", which is banned in Russia.

"It is established that members of the terrorist structure carried out unconstitutional activities based on the doctrine of creating the so - called "world Caliphate," destroying the institutions of secular society and aimed at overthrowing the current government by force," the FSB reported, Interfax news Agency reports.

The FSB reported that during the searches, Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami propaganda materials, communications equipment and electronic media were found in the detainees ' possession.

As previously reported by the Russian human rights center "Memorial", since 2003, hundreds of Muslims have been brought to criminal responsibility on charges related to participation in Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Now about 300 people are imprisoned. After Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea, Crimean Muslims have also become victims of persecution, and at least 60 of them are now imprisoned on those charges.