Detention: October 2, 2017, Melnychne village, Bilohirsk district, Autonomous Republic of Crimea (temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine). FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of Crimean Muslims and detained Talyat Abdurakhmanov as part of the so-called 'Tablighi Jamaat case'. Russian authorities accused him of participating in the activities of the 'Tablighi Jamaat' organization, which is legal in Ukraine but banned in Russia.

Sentence: On January 22, 2019, the Russia-controlled 'Kyiv District Court' of Simferopol found Talyat Abdurakhmanov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of an extremist organization') and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment, 1 year of restricted freedom, and 2 years of probation. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center recognized him as a political prisoner.
Talyat Abdurakhmanov was born on May 30, 1953. He lived in Melnychne village, Bilohirsk district, Crimea. He is a Crimean Tatar and a Muslim. There is no detailed information available in open independent sources about his professional activities before the persecution began.

After the occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation began to extend its own legislation to the peninsula, including regarding religious organizations. One of the first categories of cases involved the persecution of Muslims for alleged participation in the international movement 'Tablighi Jamaat', which was not banned in Ukraine. Human rights defenders emphasize that no evidence of violent activities by the movement's participants was presented, and the criminal cases showed signs of religious persecution.

On October 2, 2017, FSB officers conducted a series of searches in the Bilohirsk district of Crimea. Following the searches, Talyat Abdurakhmanov was detained along with three other Crimean Muslims. They were all charged with participation in the activities of an 'extremist organization'. According to human rights defenders, the charges were mainly based on religious meetings, literature, and testimonies of secret witnesses, rather than evidence of preparation or commission of any violent acts.

On January 22, 2019, the occupation court in Simferopol issued a sentence in the so-called 'Tablighi Jamaat case'. Unlike one of the accused who received a real prison term, Talyat Abdurakhmanov was given a suspended sentence. Despite the absence of actual imprisonment, human rights organizations emphasized that the mere fact of criminal prosecution is illegal and violates the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center included Talyat Abdurakhmanov in the list of individuals subjected to politically motivated persecution. Human rights defenders note that the case became one of the first examples of the use of Russian anti-extremist legislation against Crimean Tatars after the occupation of the peninsula. They emphasize that the application of the occupying state's legislation on occupied territory contradicts international humanitarian law.

After the probation period ended, Talyat Abdurakhmanov remained on the list of individuals subjected to politically motivated persecution. His case continues to be used by human rights organizations as an example of religious repression against Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.

As of July 24, 2026, there is no information in open independent sources about new criminal prosecutions of Talyat Abdurakhmanov or his re-arrest. His case remains one of the first instances of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars on religious grounds after the occupation of Crimea.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Center for Journalistic Investigations, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Date of update: 24.07.2026.