Ablaev Arsen Seytasanovich

In Simferopol, in the annexed Crimea, at the end of February 2023, 40-year-old local resident Arsen Ablaev was detained. An administrative offense protocol was drawn up against him under the article for failure to comply with a lawful order of a law enforcement officer. According to police reports, Ablaev at around 12:00 a.m. on February 25 'refused to comply with the lawful request of police officers to enter a service vehicle for identification and attempted to flee.' On February 25, 2023, judge Olga Kuznetsova of the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol sentenced the man to 10 days of administrative arrest. On March 3, before the expiration of the administrative arrest, a criminal case was initiated against Ablaev — he was charged with participating in the activities of an illegal armed formation on grounds of political hostility towards the Russian Federation and due to disagreement with the inclusion of the Republic of Crimea into its composition. According to the investigation, in January 2016, Ablaev voluntarily traveled to the territory of Ukraine and joined the ranks of the illegal armed formation of the N. Celebidzhan battalion under the command of Lenur Islyamov. It is alleged that Ablaev arrived at the unit's camp and participated in the activities of the organization, which numbered about 150 people. On September 26, 2023, the Dzhankoy District Court of the Republic of Crimea found Arsen Ablaev guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a maximum-security colony, with the first year to be served in prison. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.