Detention: On March 27, 2019, Russian security forces conducted one of the largest waves of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Kamyanka and Stroganovka neighborhoods near Simferopol. After the search, Belyal Adilov was detained along with more than twenty other Crimean Tatar activists. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of a terrorist organization') due to alleged involvement with the organization 'Hizb ut-Tahrir', which operates legally in Ukraine but is banned in Russia. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations immediately stated that the case was politically motivated and part of systemic repression against Crimean Tatars.

Sentence: On November 24, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Belyal Adilov to 14 years of imprisonment. The first four years are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a high-security penal colony. The appellate review left the sentence unchanged. Human rights defenders emphasize that the charges were primarily based on covert audio recordings of religious conversations, expert conclusions, and testimonies of anonymous witnesses, with no evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts presented to the court.

Belyal Abdurakhmanovich Adilov was born on May 27, 1970, in Hamza, Uzbekistan.

He studied up to the eighth grade at School No. 21 in Hamza. In 1984, he moved to Almalyk, Tashkent region, where he continued his studies at School No. 5. After finishing school, he enrolled in Almalyk Vocational Technical School, where he trained as a gas welder.

In 1988, he was conscripted for military service in the Chelyabinsk region.

In 1990, at the age of twenty, Belyal moved to Crimea, to the village of Chernove in the Pervomaisky district, for permanent residence.

In 1993, he graduated from the Bakhchisaray Construction Technical School. He worked at the Sverdlov collective farm.

In 1999, he got married. Together with his wife, they raise six children.

In April 2005, he moved with his family to Simferopol. He worked as a builder. He always spent his free time with his family — they went on outings to nature and the sea.

For several years before his arrest, Belyal actively participated in the public life of the Crimean Tatar people. He helped organize the Kurban Bayram and Oraza Bayram celebrations, attended court sessions and searches, and supported the families of political prisoners.

For several years before his arrest, Belyal was actively involved in the life of the Crimean Tatar community. He regularly attended court sessions in political prisoner cases, supported their families, helped collect parcels for pre-trial detention centers, and participated in organizing traditional celebrations of Oraza Bayram and Kurban Bayram. For many families of political prisoners, such support was not only practical but also moral. It was his civic activity that brought him to the attention of Russian security forces.

On March 27, 2019, FSB officers came to Adilov's house. After the search, he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. This day became one of the largest in terms of the number of searches and detentions of Crimean Tatars since the beginning of the occupation of Crimea. Russian investigators claimed that Belyal was allegedly a member of a 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' cell. Meanwhile, human rights defenders emphasized that the case contained no evidence of preparation for violent acts or terrorist activities, relying mainly on recordings of religious conversations and testimonies of anonymous witnesses.

During his time in the pre-trial detention center, the defense repeatedly pointed out overcrowded cells and inadequate detention conditions. Lawyers stated that the rights of the defendant were systematically violated, and the courts repeatedly extended the arrest without considering the defense's arguments. Human rights organizations viewed these decisions as further evidence of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars.

After several years of court proceedings, on November 24, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Belyal Adilov guilty and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment. The first four years of the sentence are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a high-security penal colony. The appellate military court left the sentence unchanged. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations emphasized that the case is politically motivated and that the application of Russian criminal law in the occupied territory of Crimea contradicts international humanitarian law norms.

After the sentence came into force, Belyal was transferred to Russia. Initially, he was held in prison, and later moved to Correctional Colony No. 17 in the Republic of Tuva — one of the most remote regions of the Russian Federation, several thousand kilometers from Crimea. Human rights defenders call such transfers an additional means of pressure on political prisoners, as the family is practically deprived of the opportunity to visit regularly.

In the colony, Belyal was repeatedly subjected to disciplinary penalties. According to reports from his wife and lawyer, the administration repeatedly placed him in a punishment cell and later transferred him to a cell-type facility (PKT), where he spent many months. The formal grounds were minor violations of internal regulations. Human rights defenders believe that such measures were used as a means of psychological pressure on the political prisoner.

There was particular concern about his health condition. The family reported a deterioration in his well-being and lack of adequate medical care. Despite this, the colony administration continued to apply disciplinary punishments to him. Ukrainian human rights organizations repeatedly called on the international community to pay attention to the conditions of detention of Crimean political prisoners in Russian colonies.

Belyal Adilov's wife repeatedly stated that letters from relatives and concerned people remain the greatest support for him. According to her, even being far from home, he tries not to lose his spirit, is interested in the lives of his children, and supports his family through correspondence.

As of July 2026, Belyal Adilov continues to serve an illegal sentence in Russia. Ukrainian human rights organizations, including ZMINA, Crimean Solidarity, CrimeaSOS, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, and the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, continue to demand his release and emphasize that he is one of the Crimean political prisoners persecuted by Russia for political reasons.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Solidarity, CrimeaSOS, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the ARC, Ukrinform.

Photo: CrimeaSO.

Date updated: 04.07.2026