Crimean Mustafayev, imprisoned by Russia, receives Freedom House Award for Human Rights and Democracy
Crimean resident Server Mustafayev, convicted by Russia, has won the Freedom House award for his contribution to human rights and democracy,
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to the project of Radio Liberty Krym.Realii.
The award for Mustafayev was received by Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova.
"It was a great honor for me to receive this award on his behalf and to remind about Server and all other Ukrainians illegally detained by Russia... This recognition is an important reminder of the struggle of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people against brutal repression by the Russian Federation," Markarova commented on her Facebook page.
Freedom House is an international human rights organization founded in 1941 to unite politicians and activists to fight against Nazi Germany. Today, the organization promotes and protects freedom and democracy around the world. Freedom House supports activists and human rights defenders who fight for human rights, and annually awards individuals and groups for their significant contributions to the development of these values.
The case of Hizb ut-Tahrir
In October 2017, Russian security forces arrested six residents of Bakhchisarai. These are Timur Ibragimov, Marlen Asanov, Memet Belyalov, Seiran Saliyev, Server Zekiryayev and Ernes Ametov. The FSB of Russia accuses them of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, which is banned in Russia and annexed Crimea.
On May 21, 2018, the coordinator of the Crimean Solidarity, Server Mustafayev, and a resident of the village of Dolynne, Bakhchisarai district, Edem Smailov, were detained in Crimea. The charges against them were added to the Bakhchisaray "Hizb ut-Tahrir case".
On November 15, 2019, the Southern Military District Court of Rostov-on-Don began to consider the case on the merits, and a year later, the verdict was handed down. Marlen Asanov was sentenced to 19 years in a strict regime colony, Memet Belialov - to 18 years, Timur Ibragimov - to 17 years, Seyran Saliyev - to 16 years, Server Mustafayev - to 14 years, Server Zekiryayev - to 13 years, Edem Smailov - to 13 years. Ernes Ametov was found not guilty and released in the courtroom.
At the time, the Office of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the verdict a "war crime." The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, in turn, called the verdict another proof of religious persecution in Crimea.
