Detention: Ruslan Abdurakhmanov was abducted by Russian military on May 22, 2022, during a mass raid in the village of Azovske, Henichesk district, Kherson region, then under Russian occupation. After his detention, he was illegally taken to occupied Crimea, where the FSB initiated a criminal case against him for alleged participation in the Noman Çelebicihan Volunteer Battalion.

Sentence: On September 2, 2022, the occupation 'Kyiv District Court' of Simferopol sentenced Ruslan Abdurakhmanov to 5 years in a strict regime colony under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in an illegal armed formation'). Ukraine and international human rights organizations consider the sentence politically motivated and in violation of international humanitarian law.

Ruslan Yusufovich Abdurakhmanov was born on February 12, 1991. He is a Crimean Tatar and a citizen of Ukraine. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, he lived with his family in the village of Azovske, Henichesk district, Kherson region. Together with his wife Feride, he raised their children. The family led a peaceful life, and Ruslan had health issues even before the full-scale war. Doctors were preparing him for surgery due to three cervical spine hernias and diagnosed cerebral blood supply disorders.

After the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022, Henichesk district fell under Russian occupation. On the occupied territories, the occupying forces began a campaign of persecution against pro-Ukrainian citizens, Crimean Tatars, activists, and individuals they baselessly suspected of ties with the Noman Çelebicihan Volunteer Battalion.

On May 22, 2022, during a large-scale raid in the village of Azovske, Russian military detained Ruslan Abdurakhmanov. After his abduction, he was taken to temporarily occupied Crimea, where he was effectively isolated from his family and lawyers. Russian security forces accused him of participating in the Crimean Tatar Noman Çelebicihan Battalion, although the defense emphasized that the charges were not properly supported by evidence.

The investigation and trial took place under the conditions of Crimea's occupation and without adherence to international standards of fair trial. Human rights organizations stressed that Russia has no jurisdiction to try Ukrainian citizens for events occurring on Ukrainian territory, and the prosecution was part of a campaign to criminalize Crimean Tatars and supporters of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

On September 2, 2022, the occupation court in Simferopol found Ruslan Abdurakhmanov guilty and sentenced him to five years in a strict regime colony. On the same day, another Ukrainian citizen, Aider Umerov, was also sentenced. Human rights defenders noted that both cases are politically motivated and related to the persecution of citizens for their pro-Ukrainian stance.

After being transferred to the Russian Federation, Ruslan Abdurakhmanov is held in Correctional Colony No. 5 in the city of Morshansk, Tambov region. In captivity, his health condition began to deteriorate rapidly. Due to the lack of proper medical care, pre-existing conditions worsened, and new serious problems emerged.

In 2024, his wife Feride Abdurakhmanova reported that he requires urgent medical treatment. According to her, he suffers from severe pain, neuralgia, circulatory disorders, and requires surgery, which has become impossible due to illegal imprisonment. Despite numerous appeals from the family, the colony administration does not provide adequate treatment.

At the beginning of 2025, Ruslan's health continued to deteriorate. According to his family and the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, he developed psoriasis over most of his body, experienced numbness in parts of his body, severe itching, and other symptoms indicating a serious decline in physical condition. Additionally, the colony administration repeatedly placed him in solitary confinement, further worsening his detention conditions.

Human rights defenders also highlight that the International Committee of the Red Cross has long been unable to confirm his status due to Russia's reluctance to provide necessary information about his place of detention. This significantly complicates international monitoring of his rights.

As of 2026, Ruslan Abdurakhmanov remains unlawfully imprisoned. Ukrainian state bodies and human rights organizations demand his immediate release, emphasizing that the case is politically motivated and is one of many examples of the persecution of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian citizens in temporarily occupied territories.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Ukrinform, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Ukrayinska Pravda.

Photo: from Ruslan's personal social media pages.

Last updated: 01.07.2026