Detention: On January 23, 2015, FSB officers conducted a search at the home of Yuriy (Nuri) Volodymyrovych Primov in the village of Shturmove near Sevastopol (temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine), after which he was detained. He became one of the first defendants in the so-called 'Sevastopol Hizb ut-Tahrir case' along with Ruslan Zeytullaev, Rustem Vaitov, and Ferat Sayfullaev. Russian authorities charged him under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of a terrorist organization'), claiming he was a member of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' organization. In Ukraine and most countries worldwide, this organization is not banned.

Sentence: On September 7, 2016, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Yuriy (Nuri) Primov guilty and sentenced him to 5 years in a general regime colony. After the sentence came into force, he was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 5 in the Republic of Mari El (Russia). On January 22, 2020, he was released after serving the full term of the unlawfully imposed sentence.

Primov Yuriy (Nuri) Volodymyrovych was born on July 31, 1976, in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) to a Crimean Tatar-Ukrainian family. After the family's return to Crimea, he lived in the village of Shturmove near Sevastopol. He graduated from the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Film, and Television named after Ivan Karpenko-Kary with a degree in dramatic theatre and film acting. He worked as a builder. At the time of his arrest, he was divorced.

At the end of January 2015, Russian security forces searched his home, after which Yuriy Primov was detained. According to the investigation, he allegedly participated in the activities of 'Hizb ut-Tahrir'. The main evidence for the prosecution consisted of covert audio and video recordings of religious discussions, expert opinions, and testimonies from anonymous witnesses. The defense and human rights activists emphasized that the case materials contained no evidence of preparation for terrorist acts or other violent crimes, focusing solely on religious discussions.

During the trial, he did not plead guilty and stated that he was persecuted for his religious beliefs. After the verdict, he served his sentence in a colony in the Republic of Mari El, far from his family and Crimea.

On January 22, 2020, Yuriy (Nuri) Primov was released after serving a five-year term with administrative supervision for the next 8 years. After his release, he returned to Crimea. Human rights activists continue to consider him a victim of politically motivated persecution and an example of the use of Russian anti-terrorism legislation to persecute Crimean Muslims on the occupied peninsula.

Information used from open sources: Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, ZMINA, Ukrayinska Pravda, Krym.Realii, UNIAN.

Photo: Krym.Realii.

Date updated: 27.07.2026.