After placing Crimean Tatar leader Ilmi Umerov’s life in danger through effective imprisonment in a psychiatric institution, the Russian FSB in occupied Crimea are now planning forced ‘psychiatric assessments’ of Crimean Tatar human rights activist Emir-Huseyn Kuku and five other Crimean Muslims. Their lawyers have condemned the move as unacceptable pressure on the men.
All six men had refused to undergo any psychiatric assessment in solidarity with 59-year-old Umerov. The Deputy Head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis or representative assembly is facing criminal charges and a possible 5-year sentence, accused of what Russia terms ‘public calls to action aimed at violating Russian territorial integrity’ via the Internet. Umerov stated in a TV interview, as do all democratic countries, that Crimea is Ukrainian and that Russia should be forced to leave both Crimea and Donbas.
