The Crimean Ukrainians imprisoned in occupied Crimea or Russia on fabricated ‘terrorist’ charges are increasingly used as part of Russia’s propaganda war against Ukraine. The latest, from REN-TV, has come up with scurrilous lies about recognized political prisoner Nuri Primov and a visit from the Ukrainian consul.

Rustem Mennanov has become the latest Crimean Tatar to be fined or jailed for innocuous social network posts. Such prosecutions are often pretexts for persecution, but also a form of intimidation and warning that even posts from years before Russia’s invasion of Crimea will be used for repressive purposes.

There are chilling indications that a well-known academic arrested in Russian-occupied Crimea on wildly implausible ‘diversion and sabotage’ charges and prevented from seeing an independent lawyer has been pressured into ‘admitting guilt’, enabling a court trial without any proof being required.

Crimean Tatar Mejlis leader Ilmi Umerov is facing a five-year sentence for saying that Russia should leave Crimea and Donbas, with the preliminary hearing as parody-like as one would expect under such circumstances

Two months after Crimean Tatar activist Bilyal Adilov was effectively abducted by unidentified individuals in camouflage gear and masks, it is Adilov who is facing trial in Russian-occupied Crimea for supposedly ‘threatening’ police officers and their relatives

There needed to be exceptional circumstances to extend Ukrainian activist and political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh’s imprisonment beyond 6 months. There were none, just an FSB order and a judge with no scruples.

Emil Kurbedinov, a tireless advocate for all those facing politically motivated persecution in occupied Crimea, has become Front Line Defenders’ 2017 Laureate of the Human Rights Defenders at Risk Award. The honour is truly well-deserved, although Emil himself considers it recognition of the work done by all lawyers and human rights defenders in Crimea.

A court in Russian-occupied Crimea has rejected the defence’s application for Crimean Tatar Mejlis leader Refat Chubarov to give testimony in the ongoing ‘trial’ of Chubarov’s Deputy, Akhtem Chiygoz.

A very welcome legislative initiative, if passed into law, will give formal recognition to the political prisoners held in occupied Crimea and Russia, and financial assistance to their families. Donbas at present does not appear to be included, which is one of many issues that needs to be considered

Russia’s extraordinary bans, arrests and harassment of Crimean Tatars seeking only to honour the victims of the Deportation are further incriminating evidence for the International Court of Justice

On May 24 exactly one year will have passed since Crimean Tatar activist Ervin Ibragimov was abducted close to his home in Bakhchysarai. Despite video footage of the abduction and international demands, the de facto authorities under Russian occupation have done nothing to find the young man or those who seized him.

The trial begins on May 31 of Crimean Tatar leader Ilmi Umerov who could face a 5-year prison sentence for saying that Russia must leave Crimea and Donbas. This is the second such trial in Russian-occupied Crimea where Ukrainian journalist Mykola Semena is facing essentially identical charges.

A bill now before Ukraine’s parliament can, according to Crimean Tatar leader Refat Chubarov, finally end any dispute as to whom Crimea rightly belongs to.

Reshat Ametov wanted his three children to grow up in a free Ukraine. When others were too fearful to join him in a peaceful demonstration against Russia’s invasion of Crimea, the 39-year-old Crimean Tatar came out in solitary protest.  He was abducted by armed paramilitaries from outside the Crimean parliament and savagely tortured to death.

Russian police and FSB marked the 73rd anniversary of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People with detentions and harassment of people, many elderly, gathered in prayer

The words above were spoken by a great Ukrainian Petro Grigorenko when he addressed Crimean Tatars exiled in Moscow in 1968, almost 25 years after the Deportation. Nearly 50 years later, Crimean Tatars are once again exiled or persecuted, and Grigorenko’s advice on demanding their rights and accepting no less, just as poignantly relevant.

It seems that Russia’s FSB are determined to get the 17-year sentence against Ruslan Zeytullaev they need for their paperwork, however many ‘trials’ are required. Meanwhile the 31-year-old father of three is again on hunger strike in protest at the 12-year sentence and ongoing persecution of Crimean Tatars

Following the International Court of Justice’s order that Russia remove impediments to the use of Ukrainian in Crimean schools, Ukrainians in Sevastopol have been told that Ukrainian is not a state language and that lessons can only be extra-curricular.

Crimean Tatars are for the fourth time facing bans and likely arrests on the 73rd anniversary of the Deportation in 1944 of the entire Crimean Tatar people from their homeland

Russia’s imprisonment of Muslim Aliev and 18 other Crimean Muslims on invented ‘terrorism’ charges may be less overtly political than the trial of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov and other opponents of annexation. The aim, however, seems just as clearly to crush dissent, with those targeted also facing horrifically long prison sentences for nothing. .