Detention: On March 27, 2019, in occupied Simferopol, FSB officers conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars as part of the so-called 'second Simferopol Hizb ut-Tahrir case.' After a repeated search of Tofik Abdulghaziyev's home, he was detained and taken into custody. Russian authorities accused him of participating in the activities of the Islamic organization 'Hizb ut-Tahrir,' which is recognized as 'terrorist' in Russia, though it is not banned in Ukraine. Charges were brought under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of a terrorist organization') and Part 1 of Article 30, Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code ('preparation for violent seizure of power'). Human rights organizations have called the case politically motivated.

Sentence: On May 12, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Tofik Abdulghaziyev guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in a strict regime colony. According to the sentence, he is to spend the first five years in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony. In May 2023, the Military Court of Appeal in the city of Vlasikha upheld the sentence. In July 2023, Abdulghaziyev was transferred to the Verkhneuralsk prison in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia.

Tofik Abdulghaziyev was born on June 19, 1982, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He comes from a Crimean Tatar family that, after years in deportation, was able to return to Crimea only in 2000. Tofik is trained as an auto mechanic-gas technician (secondary specialized education) but has not worked in his field, performing various jobs. He is married and has four children: a son and three daughters.

After the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, Tofik Abdulghaziyev actively engaged in civic activities. He became one of the activists of the public association 'Crimean Solidarity,' which unites families of political prisoners, human rights defenders, journalists, and volunteers. His activities included helping families of political prisoners, participating in the delivery of food to pre-trial detention centers, attending politically motivated court proceedings, supporting compatriots during searches, and highlighting human rights violations in occupied Crimea. He also worked as a sound operator for the organization and participated in the children's project 'Crimean Childhood,' which organized events for the children of political prisoners.

On May 4, 2017, the first search took place at Abdulghaziyev's home, but he was not detained at that time. He had already come under the scrutiny of Russian security forces due to his civic activity and support for Crimean political prisoners.

On March 27, 2019, the FSB conducted a new wave of mass searches among Crimean Tatars. After a repeated search, Tofik Abdulghaziyev was detained along with other 'Crimean Solidarity' activists. The Russian investigation claimed he allegedly participated in the activities of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' organization. As in other similar Crimean cases, the evidence was primarily based on covert audio recordings of religious conversations, linguistic expert conclusions, and testimonies of anonymous witnesses. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations have repeatedly emphasized that such cases are tools for persecuting Crimean Tatars for their civic stance and religious beliefs.

After a prolonged stay in a pre-trial detention center, the trial concluded on May 12, 2022, with a guilty verdict. The court sentenced Abdulghaziyev to 12 years of imprisonment, despite the lack of evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts. In May 2023, the appellate court left the sentence unchanged, and in July, he was transferred to the Verkhneuralsk prison in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia. He is held at the Federal Penitentiary Institution of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service for the Chelyabinsk region, address: 1 Severnaya Street, Verkhneuralsk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia, 457670.

Detention in Russian places of confinement has significantly worsened the political prisoner's health. In 2024, he was transferred to a prison hospital, where he was diagnosed with disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis with involvement of intrathoracic lymph nodes. Later, doctors also found bilateral pneumonia, hydrothorax, anemia, chronic heart failure, gastritis, kidney stones, and other severe diseases. Some of these diagnoses are included in the official list of illnesses that, according to Russian law, justify the release of a convict due to health reasons. However, despite numerous appeals from lawyers and family, the court denied early release.

By the end of 2025, Tofik Abdulghaziyev's condition further deteriorated. Doctors diagnosed a malignant brain tumor with metastases. Due to the illness, he almost completely lost his sight, began losing consciousness, lost significant weight, and required constant medical supervision. His wife Aliye Kurtametova and human rights organizations repeatedly appealed to the international community to secure his release, emphasizing that continued detention poses a direct threat to his life. Abdulghaziyev himself, in a letter conveyed through his wife, described his severe illness as 'another trial' and thanked all those who support Crimean political prisoners.

As of July 2, 2026, Tofik Abdulghaziyev remains one of the most severely ill Crimean political prisoners unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation. Ukrainian state bodies, human rights organizations, and international institutions continue to demand his immediate release on humanitarian grounds.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, CrimeaSOS, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Ukrinform.

Photo: Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Date updated: 02.07.2026