Crimean Tatars suspected of terrorism plead not guilty

The suspects rejected the charges of being members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir organization at the North Caucasus regional military court on June 1, Radio Liberty reported. The four men were detained in Crimea in January-April. Four other Crimean Tatars were detained on May 12 on suspicion of being members of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Russia has been heavily criticized by international rights groups and Western governments for its treatment of Crimea's indigenous Turkic-speaking people since Moscow annexed the peninsula in March 2014. Arrests, disappearances, and killings of Crimean Tatars have been reported. Crimea's Moscow-backed de facto authorities are currently looking for Crimean Tatar activist Ervin Ibragimov, who disappeared on May 24.