CrimeaSOS: the European Union imposed sanctions against the “judge” who convicted Nariman Dzhelial and fined Edem Semedliaiev 

On September 8, 2023, the European Union imposed sanctions against six people involved in politically motivated persecution in the occupied Crimea, in particular against the so-called judge Viktor Krapko. 

Viktor Krapko is a so-called judge of the russian-controlled “Supreme Court of Crimea”, previously worked in the so-called “Kyiv District Court”. Krapko issued court decisions on bringing to administrative and criminal liability for “discrediting the army of the russian federation”. In particular, on May 26, 2022, he found lawyer Edem Semedliaiev guilty under the article about “discrediting the russian army” and awarded a fine of RUB 75,000. 

Moreover, Viktor Krapko was one of the three so-called judges who, on September 22, 2022, sentenced Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Nariman Dzhelial, citizen journalist Asan Akhtemov, and his cousin Aziz Akhtemov. They are accused of allegedly blowing up a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne near Simferopol, smuggling and storing explosives.

Krapko is also involved in the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Crimean Tatars on the temporarily occupied peninsula. 

In addition to Viktor Krapko, the sanctions list included: 

• Olena Podolna, deputy prosecutor of the russian “Simferopol District Court” in the occupied Crimea 
• officer of the russian federal security service Denys Korovin 
• The so-called judge of the russian “Simferopol District Court” Dliaver Berberov
• FSB investigator Vitalii Vlasov 
• Prosecutor of the russian “office of the prosecutor of Crimea” Anastasiia Supriaga 

Dliaver Berberov is one of 10 former Ukrainian judges included in the CrimeaSOS list of  “Judges involved in politically motivated persecution in the temporarily occupied Crimea”.