On June 22, 2006, a Joint Protest Meeting by the Crimean Tatar Milli Mejlis and Azadliq Action Committee is Scheduled to Take Place in front of the Appeal Court on Pavlenko Street # 2, Simferopol, Crimea

By Idil P. Izmirli
US IREX IARO Scholar
Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine

On June 17, 2006 the members of the Azadliq Action Committee met with the members of the Crimean Tatar National (Milli Mejlis) at the Crimean Tatar Theater in Simferopol. As a result of this 4-hour meeting, the Milli Mejlis and the Azadliq Action Committee members decided to organize a joint protest action meeting in support of the six Crimean Tatars, who are still in prison for their involvement in Simeiz and Cotton Club events. The protest meeting will take place on June 22, 2006, in front of the Appeal Court of Simferopol, which is located on Pavlenko Street, # 2.

According to Azadliq and Milli Mejlis, these imprisoned Crimean Tatars are not the ones who were really involved in Cotton Club and Simeiz events. Kurtseid Abdullayev, who is in his fifties, is a well-known Crimean Tatar National Movement member who took part in 1987 nonviolent demonstration with Mustafa Cemilev, in the Red Square in front of the Kremlin in Moscow. After his return to Crimea, he was heavily involved in self-acquisition (samo-zaxvat) and later field protests (polyana protesta) movements with other activists who are squatting on certain unused lands until the Ukrainian government agrees to grant them the ownership of those lands for Crimean Tatar resettlement. According to the Crimean Tatar leaders that is the real reason behind Abdullayev's imprisonment under the pretences of the Simeiz events.

Based on the decision of the Central District Court of Simferopol, Kurtseid Abdullaev was sent to prison for 9 years for the organization of both (Simeiz and Cotton Club) events.

The other five prisoners are young Crimean Tatars, who have been found guilty in their involvement in Simeiz and Cotton Club events without any proof. Based on the decision of the Central District Court of Simferopol, the five young Tatars who were sent to jail as follows”

Simar Hayreddinov – 8 years in prison
Lenur Malayev – 7
Elvis Kurtametov – 5 years
Fahri Seidhalilov – 3,6 years
Dilyaver Maksudov – 1.5 years (He is already out of the prison for he fulfilled his 1.5 year sentence).

On June 22, 2006, there is expected to be 5,000 protestors in front of the Simferopol Apeal Court. On that day, the Appeal court will review their previous decisions about the six imprisoned Crimean Tatars. Crimean Tatars are doubtful about this court review; for the cases will be reassessed by the same judges who sentenced and imprisoned the six Crimean Tatars in 2004.