Russian investigators in Crimea probe abduction of Deputy Kurultay

An incident involving the abduction of the Kurultay delegate of the Crimean Tatar people, Mr. Asan Egiz, by unidentified men in uniform is being probed by the Military Investigation Division of the Russian Investigation Committee for Crimea. This has been reported by Krym.Realii, citing lawyer Ayder Azamatov.

According to Azamatov, the Simferopol District Investigation Committee has conducted a preliminary inquiry into Asan Egiz’s allegations that he was abducted by a group of men in law enforcement uniforms and kept in captivity for 2 months. After the preliminary investigation, all the files were handed over to the Military Investigation Division.

“This decision indicates that the investigation believes that law enforcement agencies may have been involved in the case,” Azamatov said.

The lawyer has also filed a request on behalf of Asan Egiz demanding to know whether a criminal case has been opened as a result of the investigation.

On May 23, near Pionerskoe village in Simferopol District, a group of unknown men in uniform abducted Asan Egiz, the Deputy Kurultay of the Crimean Tatar people. The Russian Federal Security Service in Crimea denied the detention of Egiz. Egiz was later found in the forest with signs of having been beaten.

The Ukranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the abduction of Asan Egiz in Simferopol District (annexed Crimea).

At the request of Egiz’s lawyer, the Russian Investigation Committee for Crimea tried to determine whether the traffic police were in the area where the abduction place on May 23.