Detention: On February 9, 2022, Amethan Abdulvapov was detained by officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea during mass searches of Crimean Tatar homes as part of the so-called 'Hizb ut-Tahrir case'. He was detained in Simferopol after a search at his residence. Immediately after his detention, he was placed in a pre-trial detention centre and later transferred to a detention facility in the Russian Federation, specifically in the Irkutsk region, over 6,000 kilometers from Crimea. The transfer involved inadequate medical care and prolonged separation from his family.

Sentence: In March 2023, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation sentenced Amethan Abdulvapov to 10 years and 6 months in a strict-regime colony. He was found guilty of allegedly participating in the activities of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' organization, which the Russian authorities classify as terrorist, despite it not being banned in Ukraine. After sentencing, he was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 2 in Angarsk, Irkutsk region.

Amethan Abdulvapov is a Crimean Tatar citizen of Ukraine, an engineer by profession, and one of the defendants in the fourth Simferopol group in the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir case', which became one of the largest tools for persecuting Muslim activists in Crimea after Russia's occupation.

His detention took place on February 9, 2022, during a large-scale wave of searches in Crimean Tatar families. As part of this operation, Russian security forces detained several individuals later accused of participating in an organization banned in Russia. Human rights activists emphasize that such cases are part of systemic pressure on Crimean Tatars and religious communities in occupied Crimea.

After arrest, Abdulvapov was held in a detention centre in Crimea and later transferred to the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation, over 6,000 kilometers from home. Such long-distance transfers, according to human rights assessments, complicate maintaining family ties and effectively isolate prisoners from their families.

In 2023, a Russian military court found him guilty and sentenced him to 10 years and 6 months of imprisonment. The defense and human rights organizations note that the case is based on testimonies lacking proper evidential strength, and the criminalization of participation in a religious organization is politically motivated.

After sentencing, Abdulvapov was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 2 in Angarsk. During the transfer and stay in the colony, he suffered serious health issues. It was reported that he had a stroke during the transfer and lacked adequate medical care upon arrival at the colony. According to his family, he had no serious heart conditions before imprisonment, so the sudden deterioration is linked to the detention conditions.

In 2025, it became known that he continues to be in a severe condition, with heart problems, high blood pressure, and not receiving necessary medications in full. It was also reported that he was placed in a punishment cell, further complicating his detention conditions.

Human rights defenders pay special attention to the fact that Abdulvapov's family is effectively deprived of the opportunity for regular visits due to the great distance between Crimea and the colony. His parents are elderly, and his wife with two children lacks the resources for trips over thousands of kilometers.

His case became one of many in the framework of criminal prosecutions of Crimean Tatars after the occupation of Crimea. Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasize that such processes have signs of political repression and are used as a tool to suppress dissent and religious activity.

As of today, Amethan Abdulvapov continues to serve his sentence in a correctional colony in the Russian Federation. His case remains under constant attention from Ukrainian human rights defenders and state institutions, who demand his release as a political prisoner.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Solidarity, ZMINA, Ukrinform, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Radio Liberty.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date of update: 01.07.2026.