Arrest: On October 12, 2016, Russian FSB officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol. Following the search, Teimur Abdullaev was detained along with his brother Uzeir Abdullaev, Rustem Ismailov, Emil Dzhemadenov, and Ayder Saliev. They were all accused of involvement in the activities of the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which Russia considers terrorist, although it operates legally in Ukraine. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations have called the case politically motivated and part of the systemic persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.

Sentence: On June 18, 2019, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Teimur Abdullaev to 17 years in a strict regime colony. In December 2019, the Supreme Court of Russia reduced the sentence by six months, leaving a final term of 16 years and 6 months. The first four years were to be served in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony.

Teimur Abdullaev was born on May 27, 1975, in Baku. From childhood, he was interested in sports, music, and education. He played several musical instruments, practiced judo and karting, and later connected his life with sports and law. In 1987, Teimur entered the Baku Military School. Later, he returned to the Crimean Peninsula, where he enrolled in the Simferopol Legal Technical School, specializing in law. After his studies, he worked as a lawyer. Together with his brother Uzeir, he established a sports section where he trained children and teenagers for free. Over the years, he trained several sports masters. For many of his students, he became not only a mentor but also someone who instilled respect, discipline, and love for their culture.

Together with his wife Alime, Teimur raised five children. The family was the center of his life, but he also found time for public activities. He participated in the life of the Crimean Tatar community, supported the families of political prisoners, attended court hearings in politically motivated cases, and openly expressed his position on human rights violations in occupied Crimea. Human rights defenders believe that Teimur's persecution was related not to any illegal activity but to his civic activism.

On the morning of October 12, 2016, Russian security forces came to his house. After the search, Teimur was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. The investigation claimed he allegedly organized the activities of a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell. Meanwhile, the defense emphasized that the case lacked evidence of preparation or commission of violent crimes. The charges were based on recordings of religious conversations, expert conclusions, and testimonies of secret witnesses. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations have repeatedly stated that such cases are used by Russia as a tool to pressure the Crimean Tatar community.

While in the pre-trial detention center, Teimur reported pressure from the administration. Just a few months after his arrest, it became known that he was subjected to harsh treatment. In March 2017, he was placed in solitary confinement for several days just because he wrote a letter to his family in the Crimean Tatar language. Human rights defenders regarded this as another manifestation of discrimination and psychological pressure.

After the sentence, Teimur was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 2 in Salavat (Bashkortostan). It was there that the most difficult period of his imprisonment began. Almost immediately, the colony administration began systematically sending him to the punishment cell. The formal reasons varied each time, but relatives and lawyers are convinced that disciplinary sanctions were used as a means of constant psychological pressure. Overall, during his imprisonment, Teimur spent over a thousand days in solitary confinement.

Prolonged isolation inevitably affected his health. Over the years, he began experiencing vision problems, severe headaches, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and impaired hearing after an ear infection. At the end of 2022, doctors even transferred him to a prison hospital with suspected tuberculosis. Although the diagnosis was not confirmed, even there he was placed in solitary confinement. The family repeatedly demanded full medical treatment, but he did not receive the necessary medical care.

Despite all the trials, Teimur does not lose his spirit. In 2025, he was able to see his youngest daughter for the first time in nine years, who was just an infant when he was arrested. This meeting was extremely emotional for the entire family. Relatives say that what supports him the most are letters, prayers, and the awareness that he is remembered far beyond the colony. Ukrainian human rights organizations continue to demand his release, emphasizing that Teimur Abdullaev's case is another example of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, CrimeaSOS, Crimean Solidarity, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Center for Civil Liberties, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: Crimean Solidarity.

Update date: 04.07.2026.