The Supreme Court of Crimea on September 19 rejected the appeal of the defense of the Crimean Tatar activist, blogger Nariman Memedeminov, to extend the preventive measures for him in the form of a detention in jail. This is written by “Crimea. Reality” with reference to its own correspondent.
Thus, Memedeminov will remain in the detention center until 17th of October.
“In his latest speech, Nariman pointed out that he is a Crimean Tatar, a Muslim, a civil activist and a journalist, which all together makes him a very convenient target for the FSB and is the reason why he is being persecuted,” said the lawyer Emil Kurbedinov.
The meeting was held in closed session, despite the fact that there is no corresponding resolution in the case materials. Memedinov participated in the process of videoconferencing from jail. He filed a motion for an open trial, but the court refused. After that, the defense declared a challenge to the judge and the prosecutor. The challenge was also refused by the Judge Aleksey Postov.
“Nariman believes that the court violated his right to defend without delivering him to the courtroom or for a lawyer in the pretrial detention center, and also not allowing listeners to enter the courtroom,” Kurbadinov explained.
Earlier, the Kyiv district court of Simferopol extended Memedeminov’s detention for two months.
On the 22nd of March the house of Nariman Memedeminov located in the Bakhchisaray district was searched by Russian law enforcement officers. Afterwards the activist was taken away to be interrogated to the FSB of Russia in Simferopol. On the 23d of March the court arrested Memedeminov.
The detainee was charged under Part 2 of Art. 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (Public calls for terrorist activities committed using the Internet).
On the 23d of March The Prosecutor’s office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea added changes to the Single Register of Pre-Trial Investigations on the grounds of criminal offenses provided for by part. 2 art. 146 (unlawful deprivation of liberty or abduction of a person), part. 2 art. 162 (violation of the inviolability of the home) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) called the arrest of Memedinov in Crimea as “a violation of the rights to freedom of thought, the free reception and dissemination of information, including through the Internet.”
