Armed FSB and other enforcement officers turned up at the home of Leonora Diulber at around 6 a.m. on 4 December 2025. They carried out a supposed ‘inspection’ of the well-known Crimean Tatar journalist’s home before taking her and her computer away.
She was released several hours later, with it remaining unclear what, if any, reason was provided for this latest of countless acts of intimidation and aggression against journalists in occupied Crimea. There was, however, one difference, as Crimean Solidarity, a vital human rights initiative that has itself come under constant attack, later removed its earlier reports on the events of the morning, stating that this was at the family’s request.
Leonora Diulber is a political analyst and sociologist. As well as her activities as a journalist and civic activist, she is the presenter of the ‘Merkuz’ cultural and educational TV program.
It was quite clear from the now deleted reports that the FSB had shown interest only in Diulber’s books, papers and academic work. It is doubtless of importance also, if of no practical difference, that this was officially an ‘inspection’, not a search.
This was, in short, an act of intimidation, one of the methods which Russia has systematically used against journalists and civic activists in occupied Crimea. A year ago, similar methods were used against 61-year-old Edye Muslimova (see Chilling echoes as Russian FSB abduct Chief Editor of Crimean Tatar children’s magazine)
A huge number of Crimean Solidarity civic journalists and activists are currently serving or detained and facing huge sentences on fabricated charges. Crimean Tatar journalists Remzi Bekirov, Osman Arifmemetov, Seiran Saliyev and others had first faced administrative prosecutions over 7-year-old social media posts or for taking part in totally peaceful demonstrations of solidarity with victims of repression. When they refused to be silenced, the FSB and came for them with absurd ‘terrorism’ charges.
Russia has also been systematically terrorizing renowned human rights defender and Graty journalist Lutfiye Zudiyeva, as well as lawyers, defending political prisoners.
Russia has imprisoned at least 18 Crimean Tatar and other Crimean journalists / civic journalists, very many of them active in the Crimean Solidarity human rights movement.
Iryna Danilovych
Remzi Bekirov
Seiran Saliyev
Osman Arifmemetov
Server Mustafayev
Ernes Ametov
Russia frees criminals, sentences Crimean Tatar civic journalist to 11 years for moral integrity
Marlen Asanov
Dmytro Shtyblikov; Oleksiy Bessarabov and Volodymyr Dudka
Nine years in Russian captivity after Russia’s ‘shoddiest’ show trial and no end in sight?
Ruslan Suleimanov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, Osman Arifmemetov
Vilen Temerianov
Asan Akhtemov, Aziz Akhtemov (persecuted as part of Russia’s attack on Crimean Tatar Mejlis leader, journalist and human rights defender Nariman Dzhelyal)
Open war against Crimean Tatars began long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
