A Russian court has sentenced journalist Remzi Bekirov and human rights activist Riza Izetov to 19 years’ imprisonment, with three other Crimean Tatar civic activists receiving only slightly shorter sentences.

Russian officials have illegally prevented lawyers and the families of journalist Remzi Bekirov and four other Crimean Tatar political prisoners from travelling to Rostov in Russia for the verdict in the men’s ‘trial’. 

Essentially all Ukraine’s religious leaders have come out with clear statements in defence of Ukraine and in condemnation of Russia’s aggression, even the head of the Orthodox Church linked to the Moscow Patriarchate.

While intensively bombing and killing Ukrainians, Russia is still finding time for the repression it has inflicted on those parts of Ukraine seized after its first invasion eight years ago.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has taken an important step in protecting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Crimea which has been under attack since Russia’s invasion and annexation of the peninsula

A 'court' in Russian-occupied Crimea has found 32-year-old Artem Shabliy guilty of so-called ‘participation in an extremist organization’ for practising his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness

A Russian court has sentenced 41-year-old Vadim Bektemirov to 11 years’ imprisonment on ‘terrorism’ charges although he was not accused of anything even remotely linked with such crimes

64-year-old Zekirya Muratov has been sentenced to 11.5 years, without any crime, and with almost no chance of surviving

Four Crimean Tatar civic activists were arrested on 9 February, with nine children seeing their fathers taken away by the armed and masked men who burst into their homes at 4 a.m.

Timur Yalkabov and Lenur Seidametov are facing sentences of almost two decades over conversations about religion over five years ago.

A Russian cassation court is, very belatedly, to examine evidence proving that the FSB tape used to imprison Arsen Dzhepparov is an illegal montage that should have never been allowed

The same prosecutor who sought an 11-year effective death sentence against Oleh Prykhodko for his open opposition to Russia’s annexation of Crimea has demanded a 12-year sentence against Crimean Tatar Arabic scholar and civic activist, Vadim Bektemirov.

Neighbours of recognized Crimean Tatar political prisoner Ismet Ibragimov have expressed their bemusement at the indictment which borders, they say, on sheer fantasy.

Russian prosecutor Sergei Aidinov has demanded a 12-year sentence against Zekirya Muratov although he can be in no doubt that this would be a death sentence for the 64-year-old Crimean Tatar political prisoner who has grave health problems.

Russian prosecutor Yevgeny Kolpikov has demanded sentences from 16 to 18.5 years against Crimean Tatar journalist Remzi Bekirov; human rights defender Riza Izetov; and three civic activists Rayim Aivazov; Farkhod Bazarov and Shaban Umerov

At least seven Crimean Tatar civic journalists and activists are imprisoned in conditions which are tantamount to torture and place their life in danger

There was never any possibility that Seiran Saliyev would look the other way as repression mounted in Crimea under Russian occupation, and he has paid a huge price, with a Russian court sentencing him to 16 years

Fukuyama's statement is important since Russia is not only using grotesque ‘terrorism’ charges as a weapon against Crimean Tatar journalists and civic activists, but also claiming that those who speak out in their defence are ‘justifying terrorism’.

A Russian court has refused to call in a key ‘witness’ in the trial of 64-year-old Zekirya Muratov, with the only possible reason being that the judges are as well aware as the prosecutor that this individual is an FSB agent

The insane ‘terrorism’ charges against Oleh Fedorov and Ernest Ibragimov are based on conversations about religion and on the ‘testimony’ of two ‘anonymous witnesses’ whom the FSB has significant leverage over