Detention: On January 24, 2023, FSB officers conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Dzhankoy district of temporarily occupied Crimea. After the search, Osman Abdurazakov was detained along with five other Crimean Tatar activists — Ekrem Krosh, Jemil Gafarov, Osman Dzhelalov, Enver Krosh, and Khalil Mambetov. He is accused of crimes under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ('Participation in the activities of a terrorist organization') and Part 1 of Article 30, Article 278 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ('Preparation for the violent seizure of power') due to alleged involvement with the organization 'Hizb ut-Tahrir'.

Sentence: On April 29, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Osman Abdurazakov guilty and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. The first four years are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony. Human rights defenders stated that the verdict is based on politically motivated charges and lacks evidence of involvement in terrorist activities.

Osman Abdurazakov was born on March 25, 1984, into a Crimean Tatar family that lived outside Crimea for a long time following deportation. After the family's return to the peninsula, he settled in the Dzhankoy district, where he worked and raised his children. Acquaintances describe him as a calm, balanced, and hardworking person, always ready to help neighbors and actively involved in the local community.

After the Russian occupation of Crimea began, Osman, like many other Crimean Tatars, did not remain indifferent to the events. He supported the families of political prisoners, attended court hearings, assisted with deliveries to pre-trial detention centers, and participated in civic initiatives supporting compatriots. According to Ukrainian human rights defenders, this active civic stance was one of the reasons for his persecution.

On January 24, 2023, Russian security forces came to his home. After the search, he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Russian investigators claimed he was allegedly part of a 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' cell. The defense and human rights defenders noted that the case lacks evidence of preparation or commission of any violent acts. As in many other Crimean cases, the charges were based on religious studies' conclusions, recordings of private conversations, and testimonies of anonymous witnesses.

The trial lasted over two years. During the proceedings, lawyers repeatedly reported numerous procedural violations, and human rights organizations emphasized that Russia uses anti-terrorism legislation as a tool to pressure the Crimean Tatar community. Osman did not plead guilty and emphasized that he was on trial not for a crime but for his civic stance.

During his final statement in court, he highlighted that Crimean Tatars are persecuted for refusing to remain silent. Osman stated that they are judged not for real actions but for their active life stance and concern for their people's fate. His speech became one of the most quoted during the sentencing of the second Dzhankoy group 'Hizb ut-Tahrir'.

On April 30, 2025, the court issued a guilty verdict — 14 years of imprisonment. Ukrainian human rights organizations, including ZMINA, 'Crimean Solidarity', and the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, declared the case politically motivated, and the court's decision was another example of using Russian criminal law to persecute residents of occupied Crimea. They emphasized that no evidence of preparing terrorist acts or calls for violence was presented during the trial.

As of July 2026, Osman Abdurazakov remains unlawfully imprisoned in Russia. Ukrainian human rights organizations include him in the list of Crimean political prisoners and continue to demand his release, stressing that the persecution of Crimean Tatars on the occupied peninsula remains one of the most widespread manifestations of political repression against the civilian population.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Solidarity, CrimeanSOS, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrinform.

Photo: Crimean Solidarity.

Update date: 04.07.2026.