Armed men arrived at the mosque in the settlement of Molodyozhne in Simferopol district and attempted to take away nearly a hundred Muslim locals after a prayer in the mosque, according to a Crimean Tatar lawyer Emil Kurbedinov`s posting on Facebook.
”It was reported that between 30 to 50 armed men raided the mosque, located in Molodyozhnoe in Simferopol district after Jumu`ah prayer. According to the reports, nearly a hundred Muslims were being taken away in an unknown direction,” wrote Kurbedinov.
According to the lawyer, coordinator of the Crimean contact group for human rights Abdureshit Dzhepparov was informed of the incident and went to the scene.
Kurbedinov later added that the ”law enforcers” ”had to release everyone from the buses. However, the Muslims were instructed to report to the police station.”
At the same time, Krym.Realii online media outlet wrote that the Russian security forces in the occupied Crimea were carrying out ID checks in mosques.
”Before my visit to Molodyozhnoe, where I am now, I was attending the Jumu`ah in Belogorsk. The imam warned me that the same riot police came earlier and warned that all parishioners had to be with their IDs handy… The reason is Russian inadequacy. Please, understand that there are no reasons as such. Today, Muslims all over the world are out for a prayer,” said the coordinator of the Crimean contact group for human rights.
Russian law enforcers made no official comment on the matter.
After the Russian annexation of the Crimea peninsula, the searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars and in mosques became frequent, according to Mejlis and human rights activists.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has officially announced February 20, 2014, the date of the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia. On October 7, 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed the relevant law. International organizations have recognized the occupation and annexation of Crimea illegal and condemned Russia`s actions. Western countries have introduced a series of economic sanctions. Russia has been denying that it had occupied the peninsula, calling the act a ”restoration of historical justice.”
