Detention: On March 5, 2024, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Bakhchisaray, Dzhankoy, and the Dzhankoy district of occupied Crimea. Enver Khalilaev was among those detained. Following the search, he was taken into custody and placed in a pre-trial detention centre. Russian investigators accused him of alleged involvement in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Human rights organizations emphasize that the persecution of Crimean Tatars under this article is part of a systematic policy of repression in occupied Crimea.

Sentence: On May 21, 2026, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Enver Khalilaev to 14 years and 6 months of imprisonment. He was found guilty in cases related to alleged involvement in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, along with Khalilaev, four other defendants of the 'third Dzhankoy group' received sentences that day. Other convicts were sentenced to 14 to 20 years of imprisonment.

Enver Khalilaev was born on February 13, 1967. He lived in the village of Lobanove in the Dzhankoy district of occupied Crimea, near the local mosque. According to the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, he lived with his bedridden mother for over 15 years. Khalilaev helped organize mass iftars and participated in the public life of the Muslim community. He also attended court hearings in politically motivated cases against Crimean Tatars.

On March 5, 2024, another large-scale wave of searches took place in the homes of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea. According to CrimeanSOS, Russian security forces conducted searches on ten people in Bakhchisaray, Dzhankoy, and the Dzhankoy district. Among them were Enver Khalilaev, Ali Mamutov, Nariman Ametov, Vahid Mustafayev, and Arsen Kashka. They were detained after the searches. Human rights organizations described these actions as another wave of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars.

Khalilaev became a figure in the so-called 'third Dzhankoy group' in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case. Russian investigators accused him and other detainees of involvement in the activities of this organization. CrimeanSOS and the Crimean Tatar Resource Center note that Hizb ut-Tahrir was recognized as a terrorist organization by Russian authorities, while in Ukraine and many other countries it is not banned. Human rights defenders view the persecution of Crimean Tatars under this article as a tool of religious and political repression in occupied Crimea.
In 2025, Khalilaev's case was at the trial stage. He was held in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don. The defense drew the court's attention to his health condition and the need for medical assistance. He was diagnosed with several diseases, including otitis, cardiovascular problems, and an umbilical hernia. In the summer of 2025, Khalilaev also reported hearing loss, which caused him headaches. Doctors planned surgery to remove the hernia, but it was postponed due to the ongoing trial.

Despite his health condition, in August 2025, the Russian court extended Khalilaev's detention at least until October 13, 2025. Human rights defenders emphasized the inadequate provision of medical care to Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian penal system.

The trial began in January 2025. In May 2026, the court moved to sentencing. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the court effectively accelerated from party debates to announcing sentences. On May 21, 2026, Enver Khalilaev was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months of imprisonment. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center called the sentences of the 'third Dzhankoy group' illegal.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, CrimeanSOS, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrinform, QIRIM media, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date updated: 14.09.2026.