Detention: On August 11, 2022, FSB officers conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Dzhankoy district of occupied Crimea. Following the search, Rinat Ablyatifovich Aliyev was detained. Along with him, Russian security forces detained several other Crimean Tatars in the so-called 'Dzhankoy Hizb ut-Tahrir case.' He was charged under Part 1 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('organizing the activities of a terrorist organization') and Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code ('violent seizure of power'). Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasized that the case is political, with charges traditionally based on religious conversations, expert conclusions, and anonymous witness testimonies.

Sentence: On November 26, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment. The first 3 years will be served in prison, the remainder in a strict regime colony.

Rinat Ablyatifovich Aliyev was born on January 16, 1964, at Karshi station in Uzbekistan, where his family was exiled following the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. In 1971, the family moved to the city of Krymsk in the Krasnodar region, where he attended school. After completing eighth grade, he enrolled in a vocational school and served in the army at eighteen. After demobilization, he worked in various professions and returned to Crimea with his family in the late 1980s as soon as it became possible.

Upon returning to his homeland, Rinat settled in the Dzhankoy district. He worked, built a life for his family, and raised children. Among acquaintances, he was known as a calm, hardworking, and religious person. He dedicated much of his time to the community, helping compatriots, participating in religious life, and supporting Crimean Tatars persecuted by Russian authorities after the occupation of Crimea.

On August 11, 2022, Russian security forces simultaneously conducted searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Dzhankoy district. After the investigative actions, Rinat Aliyev was detained and taken to Simferopol, later placed in a pre-trial detention center. Russian investigators claimed he allegedly organized the activities of a 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' cell. Meanwhile, Ukrainian and international human rights defenders emphasized that no evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts was presented, and the case was built on a well-established scheme of persecuting Crimean Tatars.

After his arrest, Rinat Aliyev was placed in a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, and in the spring of 2023, he was transferred to Rostov-on-Don along with other case defendants. Lawyers repeatedly stated that the transfer of Crimean political prisoners from occupied Crimea to Russia violates international humanitarian law. The entire trial took place in the Southern District Military Court.

During the hearings, the defense repeatedly pointed out the lack of real evidence. One of the main arguments of the prosecution was an audio recording of a religious conversation in a mosque made back in 2015. Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov emphasized that this recording had been in the FSB archives for eight years and was only used in 2022 as a basis for criminal prosecution. Moreover, an independent fingerprint examination did not find Rinat Aliyev's fingerprints or those of other defendants on the books presented by Russian security forces as material evidence. Human rights defenders consider this further proof that the charges lack a proper evidentiary basis.

During the court debates in June 2025, the Russian prosecutor demanded a 15-year prison sentence for Rinat Aliyev. The defense insisted that the case was entirely based on assumptions, dubious expert materials, and testimonies of secret witnesses who could not be properly questioned.

On November 26, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Rinat Aliyev guilty and sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment. The first three years are to be served in prison, the remainder in a strict regime colony. After release, the court also imposed one year of restricted freedom. Along with him, Enver Krosh, Edem Bekirov, Vilen Temeryanov, and Seitaga Abbozov were sentenced. Ukrainian human rights organizations called the sentence politically motivated and stated it was another example of systemic persecution of Crimean Tatars on the occupied peninsula.

Despite imprisonment, the family maintains contact with Rinat through correspondence. His name is regularly mentioned in campaigns supporting Crimean political prisoners, and human rights organizations urge the international community to demand his release and increase pressure on Russia over politically motivated persecutions in occupied Crimea.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Solidarity, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Ukrinform, Zhytomyr Regional State Administration.

Photo: Crimean Solidarity.

Update date: 07/04/2026