Remzi Bekirov
Remzi Bekirov, born 1985, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 205.5 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organizing the activities of a terrorist organization); Article 278 applied with Article 30 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Preparing for violent seizure of power or alteration of the constitutional order); “The case of Raim Aivazov, Farkhod Bazarov, Remzi Bekirov, Riza Uzetov, and Shaban Umerov”. Sentence (March 9, 2022): 19 years' deprivation of liberty in a strict regime penal colony, 1 year and 6 months' restriction of liberty. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since March 29, 2019; place of detention: Penal colony No. 33, Khakassia. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, May 23, 2019; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, May 13, 2019.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Simferopol · Journalists · Terrorism cases, Cases against Hizb ut-Tahrir
Sentence
19 years
deprivation of liberty in a strict regime penal colony, 1 year and 6 months' restriction of liberty
Upheld March 28, 2023
Charges
- Article 205.5 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organizing the activities of a terrorist organization
- Article 278 applied with Article 30 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Preparing for violent seizure of power or alteration of the constitutional order
Full wording of the charges
He was one of the leaders of the Hizb ut-Tahrir cell, used conspiracy measures during meetings to disseminate terrorist ideology among the peninsula's inhabitants, recruited Crimean Muslims into its ranks, and participated in preparations to overthrow the constitutional order.
Latest event
March 28, 2023 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, May 23, 2019
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 13, 2019
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 19 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №4 (SIZO-4) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Raim Aivazov, Farkhod Bazarov, Remzi Bekirov, Riza Uzetov, and Shaban Umerov
Criminal case
The case of Raim Aivazov, Farkhod Bazarov, Remzi Bekirov, Riza Uzetov, and Shaban Umerov
Other defendants in the case
- Raim Ayvazov — Imprisoned, 17 years
- Farkhod Bazarov — Imprisoned, 15 years
- Riza Izetov — Imprisoned, 19 years
- Shaban Umerov — Imprisoned, 18 years
Thematic group: Second Simferopol case of "Hizb ut-Tahrir"
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 33, Khakassia
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
655017, Республика Хакасия, г. Абакан, кв. Молодёжный, 22, ФКУ «ИК № 33 УФСИН России по Республике Хакасия», Бекиров Ремзи Рустемович, 1985 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Bekirov, a Crimean Solidarity activist and correspondent for Grani.ru, experienced political persecution and pressure beginning on March 27, 2019. On that day, his residence was subjected to a search. The following day, he was detained in Rostov-on-Don, and on the same day of his detention, he was placed into custody on charges related to organizing the activities of a terrorist organisation.
During this, Bekirov reported that he was beaten during his arrest, then taken to a forest where he was beaten again, and afterward transported for six hours in handcuffs with hands behind his back, while being threatened and intimidated. Following these events, he was transferred to a pre-trial detention center in the Rostov region before being moved back to Crimea.
In March 2020, it became known that Bekirov was facing additional charges related to preparing to overthrow the constitutional order of the Russian Federation. On March 10, 2022, he received a 19-year sentence in a strict-regime penal colony.
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.5 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.