The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has asked Russia for information about the First Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelyal and Asan Akhtemov, who were detained in Crimea on September 3, said lawyer Yevhenia Zakrevska.
“The European Court of Human Rights has reacted to my request to take urgent measures (under rule 39) to protect Nariman Dzhelyal and Asan Akhtemov from torture and ill-treatment and to provide access to Asan Akhtemov for an independent lawyer. The court requested additional information and documents,” Zakrevska wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
In particular, the ECHR asked the Russian Federation for information about the medical examination of Dzhelyal and Akhtemov, the official reaction of the Russian Federation to allegations of torture, as well as information on whether Asan Akhtemov has access to a lawyer whom he himself has chosen, the possibility of confidential meetings with him, the frequency and conditions of meetings.
The Russian side must submit the information requested by the court by September 23.
As reported, FSB officers detained Eldar Odamanov in the occupied Crimea on the morning of September 3, and Aziz Akhtemov, Asan Akhtemov, and Shevket Useinov at night on September 4. On the morning of September 4, after searches in the house, deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelyal was detained. The Russian police opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (intentional destruction or damage to property) due to “mechanical” damage to the gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne, which is located along the road from Simferopol towards Yalta.
On September 6, the occupation “court” in Crimea illegally elected a preventive measure in the form of detention to three detained Crimean Tatars. So, Dzhelyal and the Akhtemov brothers were arrested for 60 days, until November 4, on suspicion of alleged involvement in the damage to the gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne on August 23. They will be kept in custody in a pretrial detention center in Simferopol.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, officers of the Russian special services tortured the detained Crimean residents and used physical and psychological violence against them.
