Detention: On March 27, 2019, Izzet Abdullaev was detained by Russian security forces in occupied Crimea during mass searches of Crimean Tatar activists' homes in Simferopol. Following his detention, he was transferred to pre-trial detention centers in the Russian Federation.

Sentence: In 2022, a Russian-controlled court sentenced Izzet Abdullaev to 12 years in a high-security colony in a case related to the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. The Russian authorities consider it a terrorist organization, although it is not banned in Ukraine and most European countries.

Izzet Abdullaev is a Crimean Tatar civic activist and one of the figures in the so-called Hizb ut-Tahrir case, sentenced by Russian authorities to 12 years in prison. His persecution became part of a large-scale campaign against the Crimean Tatar national movement and religious activists following the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014. Abdullaev was detained on March 27, 2019, during mass searches of Crimean Tatar homes in Simferopol, after which he was transferred to pre-trial detention centers in Russia.

Izzet Abdullaev was born in 1986 in Uzbekistan to a family of Crimean Tatars illegally deported by Soviet authorities in 1944. In the 1990s, he returned to Crimea with his family as part of the repatriation of the Crimean Tatar people. Before his arrest, he worked in trade and construction and was actively involved in community life, assisting families of political prisoners, attending court hearings, and supporting human rights initiatives.

After his detention in 2019, Abdullaev was held in pre-trial detention centers in the Russian Federation, including in Rostov-on-Don and other facilities. He was accused of participating in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, although it is not banned in Ukraine and most European countries. Human rights organizations have repeatedly stated that such cases against Crimean Tatars are politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent.

On March 27, 2019, one of the largest waves of searches took place in the homes of Crimean Tatar activists in Crimea, during which several individuals, including Izzet Abdullaev, were detained. He was then placed in the Russian system of pre-trial detention centers and colonies, where he is held under conditions described by human rights defenders as harsh and dangerous to health. In 2022, a Russian court sentenced him to 12 years in a high-security colony.

Izzet Abdullaev is married. His wife, Guzel Abdullaeva, became the main person informing human rights defenders and the public about his health, detention conditions, and case progress after his arrest. She maintains contact with him through correspondence and rare phone calls and regularly reaches out to human rights organizations with updates on his situation. The couple has two daughters, Salsabil and Sofia. The younger daughter, Sofia, was born after her father's arrest, so Izzet Abdullaev was unable to be present at her birth or see her early years. Due to the prolonged imprisonment of their father, the family is forced to live in constant separation. The children grow up without his daily presence, and all household and emotional burdens fall on his wife. According to the family, contact with Izzet is limited: letters arrive irregularly, and visits are severely restricted by the conditions of detention in the Russian penitentiary system. Despite this, the Abdullaev family actively participates in campaigns supporting Crimean political prisoners and collaborates with human rights initiatives, including Crimean Solidarity, drawing attention to his case and other imprisoned Crimean Tatars.

The trial in Abdullaev's case was accompanied by numerous violations of the defendant's rights. The defense and human rights defenders reported a lack of convincing evidence of guilt, pressure during the investigation, and restrictions on the right to a fair trial. There were also reports of denial of an interpreter and hindrance of access to full legal defense. Despite this, the Russian court issued a guilty verdict, one of the harshest in similar cases.

After the verdict, Izzet Abdullaev was transferred to various correctional facilities in Russia. In 2023, he was moved to a colony in the Ulyanovsk region and later to a correctional colony in Bashkortostan. Transfers between facilities, according to human rights defenders, are a typical practice for political prisoners and often complicate maintaining contact with family.

In captivity, Abdullaev's health gradually deteriorated. In 2025, it became known that he complained of heart problems, including arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and toothache. His family reported that medical care in the colony is superficial, and necessary medications are often provided by relatives. Despite this, the colony administration does not ensure proper treatment, raising concerns among human rights organizations.

Izzet Abdullaev also became known for his participation in civic initiatives before his arrest. He supported families of political prisoners, helped organize events for children, and actively participated in the activities of the Crimean Tatar movement Crimean Solidarity. His activities were viewed by Russian authorities as extremist, although human rights defenders emphasize their peaceful and humanitarian nature.

Izzet Abdullaev's case became part of a broader system of persecution of Crimean Tatars after the occupation of Crimea. According to human rights organizations, dozens of Crimean Tatar activists have been sentenced on similar charges, which international experts consider politically motivated. This has created an atmosphere of constant pressure on the Crimean Tatar community and restrictions on freedom of speech and religion on the peninsula.

As of today, Izzet Abdullaev continues to serve his sentence in a correctional colony in the Russian Federation. His case remains the focus of international human rights organizations and Ukrainian state institutions, which demand his release as an unlawfully imprisoned Ukrainian citizen.

Izzet Abdullaev's story is an example of the persecution of Crimean Tatar activists in Crimea after the 2014 occupation. His long-term imprisonment, health issues, and the questionable trial process highlight the systematic nature of repression against the Crimean Tatar people by the Russian authorities.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea; Ukrinform, Ukrainska Pravda, CrimeaSOS; Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, ZMINA, Crimean Solidarity.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date of update: 01.07.2026.