The arrest of Leniye Umerova, a Crimean Tatar woman, has been again extended for three months.
As informed by Aziz Umerov, her brother, her detention period was extended till 4 August 2024. The court session was held in secret regime.
“Bodzhek (this is the name the family call Leniye Umerova – ed.) is sending greetings to everybody via the lawyers and is asking to write letters in Russian because messages in Ukrainian are not any more allowed in. She is in good spirits and asks everybody to keep chins up”, Aziz Umerov said.
As the CHRG has informed:
- Russia has been holding Ms. Leniye Umerova, a Ukrainian citizen, and a Crimean Tatar woman, hostage. On December 4, 2022, the 25-year’s old woman was travelling from Kyiv to the occupied Crimea because the health state of her father suffering from cancer had worsened.
- The Russian border guards detained her after crossing the national frontier between Georgia and the Russian Federation, allegedly for violating the regime zone rules. Until March 16, 2023, she was held in the Center for Temporary Detention of Foreign Citizens near Vladikavkaz. The Prigorodnyi District Court found Ms. Umerova guilty of “violating the state border regime” (Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, Article 18.1) and fined her RUR2,000.
- On the night of March 16, Ms. Umerova was released from the Center for Foreign Citizens Detention. But, as the girl told later, a car with 4 men inside was waiting for her at the gate. They rushed her, put a bag on her head, got her to a Vladikavkaz district unknown to her, and left her there. Almost the next while she was detained by the police patrol. When she asked for detention reasons, she was drawn on a report for “disobedience to the policemen’s requirements.” The Leninskiy District Court imposed an administrative punishment on her – 15 days of arrest.
- While Ms. Umerova was kept in the detention center, a similar report was re-drawn on her: the girl was reported to have refused handing her mobile to the policemen. On March 27, the same court again imposed a 15 days’ arrest on her. Leniye Umerova was moved to the detention center in the city of Beslan.
- On April 9, a new report for disobedience to the police was drawn up on the girl. On April 11, the Sovietskiy Court of Vladikavkaz again imposed a 15 days’ arrest.
- On April 26, the Sovietskiy Court of Vladikavkaz recognized Leniye Umerova, a Crimean Tatar, guilty of disobedience to the policemen again and imposed the next 15 days of arrest.
- On May 4, she was transported to Moscow to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, and accused of espionage.
- Since May 5, 2023, Lefortovo Court of Moscow has been constantly extending her detention period on suspicion of “espionage” (RF CC Article 276).
