In the written statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that the release of Deputy Chairman of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly Celal, who was detained and arrested in Crimea in September 2021 and subsequently sentenced to prison after attending the first summit of the Crimean Platform held in August 2021, was released within the framework of the prisoner exchange. It was stated that it was welcome.
In the statement, all parties who contributed to the release of Celal were thanked and it was emphasized that the necessary steps were expected to be taken for our Crimean Tatar compatriots to regain their freedom as soon as possible. The Ministry stated that it is ready to provide the necessary support to accelerate this process.
Celal was taken captive by Russian security forces in Crimea in 2021. Russian intelligence claimed that the Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and the Crimean Tatar National Assembly organized a sabotage attack in the village of Anghara near Simferopol. Following these allegations, Celal was arrested.
