Russian Court Sentences Medzhyt Abliamitov to Six Years in Maximum Security Penal Colony

The Kirovske District Court found Crimean Tatar Medzhyt Abliamitov guilty of participating in the Noman Çelebicihan Voluntary Battalion under Article 208.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in illegal armed formation) and sentenced him to six years in a maximum security penal colony and one year of custodial restraint. The prosecution requested eight years and five months in prison for Abliamitov.

At the “court hearing,” Medzhyt Abliamitov stated that FSB officers during the interrogations “told what testimony must be provided.” The defence lawyers asked to declare these testimonies inadmissible as they had been obtained under pressure exerted by special services.

In addition, five witnesses in the case were questioned in court on 20 January. One of them, Aydyn Mamutov, earlier convicted for participation in the battalion, stated that he had not borne testimonies specified in the protocol of interrogation of the witness.

The “public prosecutor” filed a motion to send inquiry to the FSB with a request to conduct an official inspection concerning the three officers who had interrogated Abliamitov. However, the request for an official inspection remained unanswered.

Natalia Tolub