Crimean Tatar newspaper founder convicted of ‘infringing freedom of information’ for UN report on Russian violations

A Russian occupation ‘court’ has found Seiran Ibragimov, founder of the Crimean Tatar newspaper Qurim, guilty of ‘abusing freedom of mass information’, and imposed a huge 250 thousand rouble fine.  This is the second such prohibitive fine directed against Qirim, with at least one other still pending.  The prosecutions are clearly aimed at destroying a vital Crimean Tatar newspaper and one of the few independent media not afraid to publish the truth about Russian occupation.  The pretext used could not be more damning as the ‘abuse’ charge under Article 13.15 of Russia’s administrative code was brought in connection with Qirim’s publication of an excerpt from a United Nations report on the human rights situation in occupied Crimea. 

The latest attack on Qirim began on 17 May 2024 after administrative prosecutions were initiated by V. Koreninksy from Russia’s so-called ‘Centre for countering extremism’.  In the early morning of 17 May, Centre and other occupation ‘enforcement officers’ burst into the homes of 68-year-old Bekir Mamut(ov) and of 59-year-old Seiran Ibragimov.  A search was also carried out that morning of the Qirim office.  

Ibragimov was, seemingly, charged only under Article 13.15 with ‘abuse of freedom of mass information’ over the above-mentioned excerpt from a United Nations report.  This was about Russia’s unwarranted detentions and beating of people on occupied territory and cited the torture of a Crimean Tatar in Kherson (while under Russian occupation) and the harsh conditions of SIZO No. 2, one of the remand prisons which Russia has opened in Crimea since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.   The claim was  that this article “circulated inaccurate information under the guise of facts, which posed the danger of harm to the life and health of citizens, property, the threat of mass infringement of public order and public safety”.

The attempt to justify prosecution for quoting a UN report was both pitiful and standard. The Centre for countering extremism claimed that the Russian occupation ‘authorities’ had received no complaints about torture and ill-treatment, and the SIZO No. 2 prison administration asserted that the conditions “fully comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.”  It is not clear whether the Qirim editorial office is also facing charges over the UN report.

Mamut and Qirim were charged under Article 20.3.3 of Russia’s Code of administrative offences, one of four repressive criminal and administrative charges rushed into Russian legislation within ten days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  It was claimed that Mamut, through one of his articles, “circulated information aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Federation’s armed forces to defend the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, to support international peace and security as part of the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine”.

This same charge was also laid against Qirim, with the latter found ‘guilty’ in early June by the occupation ‘Kievsky district court’ and fined 300 thousand roubles.  These are exorbitant amounts of money for a publication which depends solely on subscription, and, judging by the fine imposed on Ibragimov, may not be much lower against Mamut.

The ’discrediting’ charge was over an article explaining why Crimean Tatars should not take part in Russia’s war against Ukraine. This was published in September 2022 when Russia’s so-called partial mobilization’ appeared to be disproportionately targeting Crimean Tatars. It is a fact that Russia’s conscription and mobilization of any Crimeans are in violation of international law, as is its war of aggression against Ukraine altogether.

For Bekir Mamut, this is the second time that he has been prosecuted for publishing information from UN reports.  In April 2021, he was also charged, under Article 13.15, with ‘abuse of freedom of mass information’ over publication of the UN Secretary General’s report on the human rights situation in occupied Crimea.  This wrote very critically of Russia’s continued ban on the Mejlis, ore representative assembly, of the Crimean Tatar people.  The pretext used for the prosecution under ‘abuse of freedom of mass information’ was the lack of any mention by Mamut or Qirim that the Mejlis is banned on what Russia claims has ‘become’ Russian territory’ as an ‘extremist’ organization.  Then, however, the fine was very small (four thousand roubles).