Detention: On February 17, 2021, Timur Yalkabov was detained by Russian security forces following a search of his home in occupied Crimea. On the same day, he, along with Lenur Seydametov, Azamat Eyupov, Yashar Shikhametov, Ernest Ibragimov, and Oleg Fedorov, was taken to the FSB office in Crimea. They were accused of involvement with the so-called 'third Simferopol group' in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case.

Sentence: On March 22, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation sentenced Timur Yalkabov to 17 years in a strict regime colony. The first four years were to be served in prison. He was prosecuted under part 1 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code and other articles related to alleged terrorist activities and 'violent seizure of power.' According to the case materials, the accused did not possess weapons, explosives, or ammunition, did not plan a terrorist attack, and did not call for terrorist actions. The defense and the accused themselves called the case fabricated.

Timur Yalkabov was born on September 7, 1980, in Uzbekistan. He is a Crimean Tatar. In his youth, he studied at a vocational school as a locksmith-mechanic and worked for some time in Moscow. In 2008, he moved to Crimea. Initially, he worked as a laborer and in trade, later engaging in baking and selling confectionery with his wife. He has a secondary education, is married, and is the father of five children.

On February 17, 2021, around four in the morning, Russian security forces conducted a series of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in various localities of occupied Crimea. Investigative actions took place in Bilohirsk, Bakhchisarai, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and the Soviet district. After the search, Timur Yalkabov was detained and taken to the FSB office. He was later remanded in custody and sent for a forensic psychiatric examination.

Yalkabov was charged with participating in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization Russia declared terrorist in 2003. Human rights activists emphasize that the persecution of Crimean Tatars under these articles is politically motivated. ZMINA noted that, according to the case materials, the defendants did not possess weapons, explosives, or ammunition and did not prepare a terrorist act. The defense linked the persecution to the civic position of Crimean Tatars and their criticism of Russian security forces.

On March 22, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Yalkabov to 17 years in prison. After the verdict, he was held in the Novocherkassk pre-trial detention centre. In December 2022, Yalkabov was transferred to the city of Dimitrovgrad in the Ulyanovsk region, where he was to serve the first four years of his sentence.

In February 2023, Timur Yalkabov was placed in a punishment cell. He remained in the punishment cell for almost three months until May 5. Later, it became known that his physical condition had significantly deteriorated. According to his wife, he lost 25 kilograms in three months, his hands began to go numb, and he showed signs of vitamin deficiency. He also had joint and knee problems.

A separate issue was the treatment of bronchial asthma. The prison administration in Dimitrovgrad did not provide Timur Yalkabov with inhalers sent by his family, citing the absence of a doctor. Only after an asthma attack was one of the medications given to him. Later, his wife reported that due to prolonged imprisonment, Timur developed new health problems.

In April 2025, Timur Yalkabov was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 17 in the Murmansk region of the Russian Federation, more than 3,500 kilometers from Crimea. The distance and complexity of the journey significantly complicated the possibility of visits from his family, especially considering he has five children.

In July 2025, the colony administration placed Yalkabov under strict conditions of detention (SUS). The reason cited was alleged violations of the regime in the previous facility, including refusal to work. At the same time, Yalkabov had bronchial asthma and a third-degree disability.

His wife reported that before the transfer, she had sent him inhalers, but in the new colony, he used them much faster due to the worsening of his condition.

The most recent confirmed information available from authorized sources dates to January 28, 2026. At that time, ZMINA and Suspilne Crimea reported that Timur was diagnosed with hepatitis in the colony. The exact type of the disease was not known at that time: he informed his wife that he had retaken tests and was awaiting results. His chronic asthma and third-degree disability were also confirmed. The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea also reported this diagnosis in January 2026.

As of September 14, 2026, Timur Yalkabov continues to serve a 17-year sentence in Correctional Colony No. 17 in the Murmansk region of the Russian Federation.

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

Photo: ZMINA.

Date of update: 14.09.2026.