Help us hit 500 members by the end of October Become a memberIn Kabarda–Balkaria, officers of the Interior Ministry have detained Ruslan Balbek, a former MP and former deputy head of the Crimean government in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Between 2007–2012, he was a delegate of the Crimean Tatar parliament — Qurultay. During this period, he criticised the activities of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, which was later recognised in Russia as an extremist organisation and banned. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Balbek was appointed deputy head of the Council of Ministers of Crimea. The press service of the Interior Ministry of Crimea stated that investigative actions are continuing.