CrimeaSOS: Crimean Tatar political prisoners in pre-trial detention centres are persecuted on religious grounds

Victims of politically motivated persecution being Crimean Tatars, are persecuted on religious grounds in pre-trial detention centre #1 of the city of Simferopol. The head of Board of CrimeaSOS Oleksii Tilnenko talked about this in an interview with QIRIM News. 

“Very often, for example, especially what concerns the Crimean Tatars – they are placed with non-Muslim cellmates, who, accordingly, put pressure on them, due to the fact that this is a different religious tradition… Plus, of course, those [Crimean Tatars – ed.] who adhere more or less to their religious beliefs, are very often malnourished, as sad as it may be to say. Because, accordingly, they cannot consume the diet offered to them due to religious beliefs”, — says Oleksii Tilnenko.

Currently, at least 150 victims of politically motivated persecution in Crimea are behind bars. There is also no information about some people, even about their place of detention and the fact of the reported suspicion. 

In addition to oppression and torture, political prisoners in Crimea are not provided with adequate medical care. Thus, for example, the life of the imprisoned citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych was in danger. On March 21, she announced a dry hunger strike until “the start of treatment or biological death”.