In Crimea, special force operatives conduct searches in the living quarters of several local residents

On the morning of September 4, several residents of Crimea have been searched and detained. Civil activist Marlen Mustafayev was taken to the Crimean Internal Affrairs Ministry headquarters, Zarema Kulametova was taken to a house where entrepreneur Abdulla Yakubov was being searched. This is reported by the Crimean Solidarity project.

The search of Marlen Mustafayev’s living quarters began in the Kamenka village of the Simferopol district; in the morning, a prisoner transportation vehicle blocked the way to the front yard of the building. A minor (a daughter less than two years of age) and an elderly relative were also in the house. According to Mustafayev’s wife, the operatives searched for weapons, documents and communication devices were confiscated. At around 9: 30am, Marlen Mustafayev was taken away. He has now been brought to the Crimeans Internal Affairs Office headquarters; his lawyer, Edem Semedlyaev, has not been allowed to see him. Mustafayev is allegedly accused of inciting hatred or hostility (p. 1 of a, 282 of the Criminal Code). It has later been reported within the community that Mustafayev is being accused on the grounds of the administrative article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (demonstration of extremist organization symbols). Journalist Anton Naumlyuk writes that Mustafayev’s house and family had been under surveillance for some time before the search and seizure.

According to Crimean Solidarity, Marlen Mustafayev is a civilian activist who assisted the families of political prisoners. On February 21, 2017, special force operatives had already searched Mustafayev’s house, which had led to him being detained for 10 days. At that point he was accused of posting a banned publication on social media in July of 2014. Starting from September 17 of last year, Mustafayev has been periodically summoned to the Investigative Committee of the Kiev region of Simferopol to give testimony.

Local resident Zarema Kulametova was detained by law enforcement officers around nine in the morning, when she was serving compulsory community service in the Old Crimea park. Special service operatives in two cars took the woman to the house of Abdulla Yakubov, which is also currently being searched. The building is owned by Zarema’s son.

As Crimean Solidarity explains, Zarema Kulametova had encountered special force operatives in late January of 2018, when they came to search the house of her son Giray Kulametov, one of the participants of last year’s pickets against the persecution of Muslims in the Crimea. In a burst of emotions and fear for her son, Zarema spoke strongly toward the operatives, as a result of which she was sentenced to a fine and compulsory community service on the grounds of insulting a representative of power (a. 319 CC).

It is known that some investigative actions are conducted in the Old Crimea house of Abdulla Yakubov, a businessman and an art and science patron. Geray Kulametov’s father Zekiy Kulametov, as well as Geray’s sister Riana Kulametova, who was broadcasting live from the scene, were detained near the house. They were escorted to the house where the search is being conducted.

Zekia Kulametova’s house is also being searched.