CrimeaSOS: Ukrainian human rights defenders condemned the illegal detention of the Crimean Tatar Lenie Umerova
18 / 04 / 2023
Representatives of Ukrainian human rights organizations demand the immediate release of the Crimean Tatar Lenie Umerova who was illegally detained in russia. This is stated in the appeal, which was published today, says the Head of the Board of CrimeaSOS Oleksii Tilnenko.
“For four and a half months, the russian authorities have been illegally detaining Ukrainian citizen, Crimean Tatar Lenie Umerova. Last week, the court of Vladikavkaz again ordered 15 days of arrest for Umerova for “disobeying the police”, despite the fact that she did not admit guilt. Lenie Umerova shall be released, like all victims of politically motivated persecution in Crimea”, —Oleksii Tilnenko believes.
Ukrainian human rights defenders condemn the criminal actions of representatives of the russian authorities and demand the following:
- immediately release Ukrainian citizen Lenie Umerova;
- conduct an effective and impartial investigation into the circumstances of illegal imprisonment of Lenie Umerova;
- immediately release all political prisoners and civilian hostages held in places of detention in the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, other occupied territories of Ukraine or the territory of the russian federation.
A citizen of Ukraine, a Crimean Tatar, Lenie Umerova, who lived in the city of Kyiv, had to go to the occupied Crimea in December 2022 due to her father’s cancer. After crossing the state border between Georgia and the russian federation, she was detained allegedly for violating the rules of staying in the regime zone. On December 4, 2022, the Prigorodny District Court of the Republic of North Ossetia found the detainee guilty of “violation of the state border regime” (under part 1 of article 18 of the administrative code of the russian federation) and fined her RUB 2,000. Umerova was held in the Centre for Temporary Detention of Foreign Citizens near Vladikavkaz until March 13.
Since then, a number of protocols were drawn up against Umerova and she was accused of “disobedience to police officers”. On April 9, Umerova was again charged with disobeying the police. On April 11, 2023, the Soviet Court of Vladikavkaz ordered another 15 days of arrest.