Human rights defender Kulamet Ibraimov parents’ house raided

On 2 August 2023, Crimean Tatar human rights defender and civic journalist Kulamet Ibraimov parents’ house in the village of Buyuk-Onlar in Russian-occupied Crimea was raided and the human rights defender’s parents were intimidated by representatives of the Russian Centre for Countering Extremism. The raid took place only one day after Kulamet Ibraimov’s release from an arbitrary 5-day administrative arrest.

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Kulamet Ibraimov is a human rights defender, member of Crimean Solidarity and a civic journalist with the Russian media outlet Grani.Ru, who covers politically-motivated trials in Russian-occupied Crimea. The human rights movement Crimean Solidarity was created on 9 April 2016 as an informal and peaceful human rights organisation to protect victims of repression on ethnic, religious and political grounds in Russian-occupied Crimea from the Crimean Tatar and other indigenous communities. Members of the organisation conduct monitoring and media coverage of trials related to politically-motivated cases in Crimea and provide legal and other kinds of support to the victims of persecution and their family members.

On 2 August 2023, 10 unknown armed individuals in unmarked black uniforms raided the house of Kulamet Ibraimov’s parents. Those carrying out the raid searched the family library and other belongings in the house and shed. Crimean Solidarity reported that the human rights defender’s parents were asked about Kulamet Ibraimov’s whereabouts, while hearing threats that “If he doesn’t stop his human rights activities, it would end badly.” The search lasted for about an hour. It was disclosed during the raid that it was being conducted by the Russian Centre for Countering Extremism, but the individuals left without drawing up any reports. The raid took place only one day after the release of Kulamet Ibraimov from five days in administrative detention. Crimean Solidarity also reported the human rights defender’s mother came to meet him the evening of his release, near the detention centre, and that Kulamet Ibraimov’s residency was still registered at his parents’ address.

Human rights defender Kulamet Ibraimov was one of 13 people who were arbitrarily detained on 27 July 2023. He was arrested after coming to the Supreme Court of Russian-occupied Crimea to attend and conduct media coverage of the appeal trial in the case of Nariman Dzhelal and the Akhtemov brothers. Kulamet Ibraimov was charged with an administrative offence under Article 20.2.2 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences and sentenced to five days of administrative arrest, which ended on 1 August 2023.

Previously, on 25 January 2023, the human rights defender was arrested in front of the Kyivskyi district court in Simferopol and jailed for 12 days after representatives from the Russian Centre for Countering Extremism and Rosgvardiya fighters, acting on their command, carried out mass detentions of Crimean Tatars who came to the court hearings.

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned at the judicial harrasment of the Crimean Tatar human rights defender and journalist Kulamet Ibraimov and the targeting and intimidation of his family members. Front Line Defenders considers this attacks are reprisals for his peaceful and legitimate human rights work on documenting and informing about human rights violations committed by the Russian Federation in the occupied territory.