Suspilne Crimea found out what is happening in Crimea, and why in April 2021 the number of searches has increased. 

On April 20, in occupied Crimea, in the village of Kurske, Belogorsky District, the occupying security forces searched the Taimazovs’ house.

Public defender, Mustafa Seydaliyev, said that he did not know what occupation authorities searched the house.

“We don’t know what bodies are working there now. Law enforcement agencies refuse to answer the questions. They don’t provide documents, they don’t let us into the house ... Relatives and neighbours are gathered near the house to find out what’s going on here”, - he said.

Source: Crimean Solidarity

As the correspondents of Crimean Solidarity later reported, employees of the occupying FSB of Crimea worked on the spot. Only Seyran Taimazov’s parents were in the household. Seyran has not lived in Crimea since 2016. Nothing was seized during the investigative measures.

On April 22, a Crimean man, allegedly recruited by Ukrainian intelligence, was detained in occupied Sevastopol. He is accused of allegedly collecting secret information about the occupying Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, which “could have damaged Russia’s defence capabilities”, and then passing it on to the State Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. A case of treason was filed against the Crimean citizen.

The occupation court of the Leninsky district of Sevastopol sent the young man to arrest for two months.

Coordinator of the Crimean human rights group Olga Skrypnyk informed Suspilne Crimea the young man is 23 years old.

He has been provided with an appointed lawyer, however, appointed lawyers often serve the interests of the FSB. That is why the Crimean should get an independent lawyer.

“Experience shows that very often such accusations are falsified. Illegal methods of investigation are usually used to force a person to confess and testify against himself”, - she explained.

Meanwhile, on April 22, in the village of Bagate, Belogorsky district of occupied Crimea, Russian security forces came to the house of Eldar Fetlyaev. According to the occupiers, he was allegedly involved in organizing terrorist attacks and storing explosives.

According to Fetlyaev’s wife, the occupying security forces searched the house in the presence of her and her eldest son, while Eldar was reviewing a package of documents given to him by “security officers”.

Lawyer Edem Semedlyaev said that the reason for the search was an anonymous letter to employees of the occupation “Center for Countering Extremism” that someone was allegedly preparing for explosions and terrorist attacks.

“And for some reason, they came to Eldar Fetlyaev to check if he had any explosives and if he knew of any similar events. Crimean Tatars have no weapons or explosives, which suggests that Crimean Tatars have nothing to do with terrorism”, - the lawyer said.

On April 23, the occupiers searched the house of Crimean Tatar Ruslan Ramazanov in the Hoshkeldy neighbourhood of the Simferopol district of Crimea.

The search began at 5:55 a.m. and lasted about an hour. They confiscated some equipment from the house: a computer and a telephone. The occupying security forces read out a search warrant to the family members and left a protocol.

The elderly mother of 43-year-old Ruslan Ramazanov - Sabrie reported that she woke up from the noise in the house.

At first, she thought it was from the neighbours, but when she came out, she saw that her son and daughter-in-law were already walking around the house with the “operatives”. The woman is still in shock.

Ruslan Ramazanov attends a local mosque and prays five times a day.

Four children, a wife, and a mother were in the house during the search.

According to Abdureshit Dzhepparov, the occupiers came after receiving an “anonymous message” on April 22 in the Belogorsky district.