Detention: February 17, 2021, Bakhchisaray district, temporarily occupied Crimea. The authorities of Russian-occupied Crimea detained Ibrahimov, among others, following searches of their homes. On the same day, the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol arrested him for 2 months. Ernest was charged under part 2 of Article 205.5 (participation in the activities of an organization recognized as terrorist under Russian law). A few months later, he was transferred from Crimea and placed in a pre-trial detention centre in Rostov-on-Don during the trial.

Sentence: On July 7, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Ernest Ibrahimov to 13 years of imprisonment. The first 3 years are to be served in prison, the remainder in a strict regime colony. Additionally, 1 year of restricted freedom is imposed after release. Russian authorities accused him of participating in the activities of the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, recognized as terrorist in Russia, although it is not banned in Ukraine and most democratic countries. On September 13, 2024, the Russian cassation court upheld the sentence.

Ernest Ilyasovich Ibrahimov was born on January 25, 1980, in Uzbekistan. Like many Crimean Tatars of his generation, he was born far from his historical homeland due to the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. After his family's return to Crimea, he settled in the Bakhchisaray district.

Before his arrest, Ernest worked as an individual entrepreneur. He was a long-time cook at the well-known Crimean Tatar café 'Salachik' in Bakhchisaray. Colleagues and acquaintances described him as a calm, hardworking, and responsible person, respected among fellow villagers. He is married.

After the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Ernest Ibrahimov began actively supporting the families of political prisoners. Following the arrest of café owner Marlen Asanov, he engaged in community activities within the initiatives 'Crimean Solidarity' and 'Crimean Childhood'. He assisted the families of political prisoners, participated in charity events for children, attended court hearings, and supported compatriots facing persecution. Human rights defenders consider this civic activity one of the reasons for his subsequent criminal prosecution.

On February 17, 2021, Russian FSB officers conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Bakhchisaray district. After the search, Ernest Ibrahimov was detained along with other Crimean Tatar activists. They were all charged in a new Hizb ut-Tahrir case. Russian investigators claimed that the men allegedly participated in the activities of an Islamic organization considered terrorist by Russia.

The next day, the Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol ordered Ernest Ibrahimov to be held in custody. He was later transferred to a detention center, and after the investigation, to Rostov-on-Don, where the Southern District Military Court heard the case.

According to human rights organizations, the main evidence for the prosecution consisted of covert audio recordings of religious conversations, expert opinions, and testimonies of secret witnesses. The prosecution did not provide any evidence of preparation or commission of terrorist acts or violent actions. Ukrainian and international human rights advocates have repeatedly stated that the case is politically motivated and part of systemic repression against Crimean Tatars.

During the trial, Ernest Ibrahimov did not plead guilty. In his final statement, he described the persecution of Crimean Tatars as a manifestation of centuries-old Islamophobia, emphasizing that he was being judged not for a crime but for his religious beliefs, civic stance, and belonging to the Crimean Tatar people. He also stressed that he never advocated violence or engaged in terrorist activities.

On July 7, 2022, the court found Ernest Ibrahimov guilty and sentenced him to 13 years of imprisonment. In June 2022, the appellate military court upheld his detention, and in September 2024, the cassation instance finally confirmed the sentence.

After the sentence became legally binding, Ernest was transferred to prison No. 1 in Saratov, and at the end of 2024, moved to correctional colony No. 5 in the city of Novotroitsk, Orenburg region. Despite the remoteness of the place of imprisonment, his family managed to visit him in 2025. According to relatives, he remains resilient, supports other Ukrainian political prisoners, and maintains hope of returning home.

Ukrainian state bodies and international human rights organizations view Ernest Ibrahimov's case as an example of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars on the temporarily occupied peninsula. His name is regularly included in lists of Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin and international campaigns for the protection of freedom of conscience and human rights.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Solidarity, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom), Profiles of Ukrainian Political Prisoners of the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the ARC.

Photo: Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Update date: 12.07.2026.