A delegation of Crimean Tatars traveling from Crimea to Moscow to meet with Russian Ombudsperson Tatiana Moskalkova was detained by Russian security forces near Koltovo, Moscow region, around midnight on October 31.
The group, part of Crimean Solidarity, was on its way to discuss the unlawful detention of four Crimean Tatar women: Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elvira Aliyeva, and Fevziya Osmanova. Their buses were halted on the highway approximately 120 kilometers from Moscow.
“Warned that, in the event of actions that create conditions for committing crimes, administrative offenses, the authority for which lies with the police, and for continued anti-social behavior, a person may be held accountable under the law.”
This detention marks the fourth time a Crimean Tatar delegation traveling to Moscow has been stopped and searched by Russian security services. Representatives confirmed the incident through the Crimean Solidarity movement.
Author’s summary: Russian forces detained a Crimean Tatar delegation en route to Moscow, seizing documents and issuing official warnings during yet another obstruction of their human rights advocacy.