MOSCOW, January 30 (RAPSI) – Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Directorate for Crimea and Sevastopol has charged deputy chairman of Majlis of Crimean Tatars, Ilma Umerov, with public calls for separatism, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

According to the FSB’s press-service, the defendant has refused to testify. Investigation documents will be transferred to the local Prosecutor’s Office shortly.

In the spring of 2016, a criminal case over calls for violation of Russia’s territorial integrity was launched against Umerov. He was questioned by the FSB and as a suspect in the case pledged not to leave country.

On April 26, the Supreme Court of Crimea granted a lawsuit filed by then republic’s Prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya and banned the Majlis of Crimean Tatars as extremist organization. This ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court of Russia on September 29.

On May 20, the Moscow City Court ruled that Dzhemilev, along with another leader of the Majlis, Refat Chubarov, are banned from entering Crimea for five years. The regional officials claim that the Tatar leaders’ activity incited inter-ethnic hatred.