The court in Crimea passed a verdict on the “Case of February 26”

The Central District Court of Simferopol sentenced the participants of the “26 February case” to suspended sentences. Ali Asanova and Mustafa Degermenji received 4 years and 6 months of suspended sentence, Arsen Yunusov and Eskender Kantemirov received 4 years of suspended sentence, Eskender Emirvaliyev received 3 years and 6 months of suspended sentence with a probation period of 3 years for each.

All punishment measures remain active until the sentence is enforced.

The Russian prosecutor’s office requested five years imprisonment on probation with a probation period of three years for Mustafa Degermendzhi and Ali Asanov, while Eskender Kantemirov, Arsen Yunusov, and Eskender Emirvaliev would get three and a half years’ imprisonment on probation with a probation period of two years.

On February 26 2014, a large-scale rally of supporters and opponents of the territorial integrity of Ukraine was held in front of the Crimean parliament. Among the first were the Crimean Tatar and pro-Ukrainian activists, they were opposed by pro-Russian activists, led by the leaders of the “Russian Unity” headed by Sergei Aksenov, who now leads the Russian government of the Crimea.

In January 2015, the Crimean department of the Russian Investigators Committee opened a criminal case on mass riots at a rally on February 26.

Among the detainees were supporters of Ukraine’s territorial integrity: deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Ahtem Chiyhoz, as well as activists Ali Asanov, Mustafa Degermendji, Eskender Kantemirov, Talyat Yunusov, Eskender Emirvaliyev, Arsen Yunusov, and Eskender Nebiev.

Later, the court divided the “case on February 26” into two: separating the main suspect, Akhtem Chyigoz, who in fact was acting as the leader of the Mejlis in Crimea.

On the initiative of Dzhemil Temishev’s lawyer, activist Talyat Yunusov and operator of the ATR television channel Eskender Nebiev went on a deal with the investigation and pleaded guilty on the condition that their testimony would not serve as evidence in the cases of other accused of the “February 26 case.” In December 2015, Talyat Yunusov was sentenced to 3.5 years conditionally, and Eskender Nebiev to two years, also a suspended sentence.

On September 11, 2017, the Russian court sentenced Chiygoz to eight years in a strict-regime colony on charges of organizing “mass riots”, which implied protests related to the annexation of the peninsula by Russia.

October 25, 2017, the Russian authorities released Ahtem Chyigoz the condemned in Crimea and handed him to Turkey, later he came to Kiev.