On September 30, Borys Babin, an expert with our Association, spoke at the press conference “Kremlin Hostages in the ‘Noman Çelebicihan Battalion’ Case: How Russia Persecutes Ukrainian Citizens and How to Bring Them Home,” organized by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Participants included Center representatives Eskender Bariiev and Liudmyla Korotkykh; Diliaver Seitumerov, a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and former member of the “Asker” formation; Leyla Seidaliieva, daughter of Crimean political prisoner Nasrulla Seidaliiev; and Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Conference participants discussed the current situation regarding the occupying power’s repressions in the “Noman Çelebicihan Battalion” cases. This included “sentences” for “terrorism” handed down to civilian Crimean Tatar activists, members of the “Asker” volunteer formation, which operated until 2022, and, more recently, members of the 48th Separate Assault Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Statistics on the victims of repression were presented, along with key details regarding the harassment, torture, and discrimination they have endured. In his address, Professor Babin emphasized the criminal nature of the aggressor’s practice of punishing individuals, both prisoners of war and civilians, for alleged participation in a “fake structure” fabricated by Russian punitive forces; he specifically highlighted the Russian war crime of refusing to recognize the prisoner-of-war status of former members of the “Asker” formation.
Discussing mechanisms for responding to Russian repressions in the “battalion cases,” the Association’s expert pointed to our experience communicating with the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, particularly regarding this group of cases. Professor Babin noted that the Special Rapporteur’s new report A/81/227 incorporates the information provided by the ARC and demanded from states to refrain from using counter-terrorism sanctions and financing laws, and offences to target victims and innocent.
