The appeal hearing has again been adjourned against monstrous sentences passed on three Crimean Tatar political prisoners, two of whom were almost certainly targeted for their active civic position. Rustem Emiruseinov (b. 1979); Arsen Abkhairov (b. 1985) and Eskender Abdulganiev (b. 1997) were sentenced to 17, 13, and 12 years, respectively, without being accused of any recognizable crime and with the ‘evidence’ provided by a highly questionable ‘religious expert assessment’ and a ‘secret witness’ who appeared unable to distinguish one defendant from another. The appeal hearing had been scheduled for Oct. 25, but was moved to Nov. 1 because Abdulganiev had a high temperature, however, one of the men’s lawyers, Edem Semedlyaev, and 21 other Crimean Tatars, including two journalists carrying out their professional duties are now also in detention (details here).
