Forces raid home and interrogate the prominent Crimean Tatar journalist

Location: Ukraine, Jankoy

Date: January 26, 2024

Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the detention and late-night raid on the home of revered Crimean Tatar journalist Zera Bekirova. This reprehensible action by Russian forces in the occupied peninsula is part of a disturbing pattern of harassment, detention, and imprisonment targeting independent journalists, especially Crimean Tatars. We adamantly call for an immediate end to such persecutory measures. Security forces should not be employed to silence and intimidate media workers. The international community must unequivocally denounce the aggressive tactics employed by Russian security forces in occupied Crimea.

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On January 26, 2024, Russian security forces raided the home of Zera Bekirova, a prominent Crimean Tatar journalist and editor of the Nenkejan magazine. Ukrainian authorities reported the raid on her home in the city of Jankoy; according to which, the search was conducted illegally, and Bekirova, along with her daughter, was interrogated. She was released later that day, close to midnight.

Zera Bekirova is a Crimean Tatar journalist, former editor-in-chief of Yañı Dünya magazine, publicist, and member of the Writers' Union of Ukraine.

The raid of Zera Bekirova's home is part of a broader pattern of harassment and intimidation against journalists and activists, particularly those from minority communities, in Russian-occupied Crimea.

On July 27, 2023, Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a Tatar journalist with Graty, was detained by Russian security forces in Crimea while attempting to report on an appeal hearing regarding the case of three Crimean Tatar activists sentenced to 45 years in prison. Zudiyeva, who has covered trials and human rights issues in Crimea, was detained along with 12 other activists and journalists after being denied entry to the courthouse. She was fined 12,000 rubles for allegedly participating in a mass gathering.

There are currently 15 journalists imprisoned on the peninsula. Ukrainian citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych is serving seven years in prison for exposing flaws in the healthcare system in Crimea. The case against her is politically motivated and violates international law. She has experienced severe health problems while in prison and received no medical care.

Since the annexation of Crimea, there has been a systematic crackdown on dissent, with hundreds of political prisoners and individuals prosecuted on questionable charges. The Crimean Tatar community, in particular, has been targeted for their opposition to the annexation and efforts to maintain their cultural identity and rights.

The raid of Zera Bekirova's home and her interrogation highlight the ongoing repression of press freedom and human rights in Crimea under Russian occupation. Bekirova's work as a journalist and editor, focusing on Crimean Tatar issues and cultural expression, likely made her a target for Russian authorities seeking to suppress independent voices in the region.

Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with Zera Bekirova and all journalists and activists facing persecution for their work in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. We demand that Russian authorities immediately end their harassment and intimidation of journalists and activists in occupied Crimea and respect the principles of press freedom and human rights. We urge the international community to condemn the targeting of Zera Bekirova and other journalists and activists in Crimea and to pressure Russia to uphold its obligations under international law.

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