Arrest: On June 10, 2019, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the Alushta and Bilohirsk districts of occupied Crimea. During this wave of repression, Crimean Tatar activist Eldar Kantemirov was detained. He was accused of participating in the activities of the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is legal in Ukraine and most countries worldwide but banned in Russia.

Sentence: On August 16, 2021, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Eldar Kantemirov to 12 years in prison. The first two years were to be served in a high-security prison, with the remainder in a strict-regime colony. The court also imposed one and a half years of restricted freedom after release. Subsequently, the political prisoner was transferred first to the Ulyanovsk region of the Russian Federation, and in October 2024, to IK-8 colony in the Republic of Buryatia, more than 7,000 kilometers from his native Crimea.

Eldar Shukriyevich Kantemirov was born on July 10, 1980, in the city of Begovat, Uzbekistan. His story is inextricably linked with the tragic fate of the Crimean Tatar people. Eldar's family ended up in Uzbekistan due to the deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet regime in 1944. Only in 1992, after decades of exile, was the family able to return to their native Crimea.

After returning to his homeland, Eldar attended a Crimean school and was actively involved in sports, achieving notable success in boxing, becoming a Crimean champion and a prize-winner of the Ukrainian championship. The discipline and perseverance from sports helped him in later life. After finishing school, he enrolled in the Kyiv Islamic University, and in 2001, he interned at one of the world's most renowned Muslim educational centers, Al-Azhar University in Egypt. This experience provided him with expertise in Arabic studies and deepened his knowledge of Islamic studies.

Back in Crimea, Eldar engaged in entrepreneurial activities, selling souvenirs related to the history, traditions, and culture of the Crimean Tatar people. He also actively participated in local community life, supporting cultural events and religious initiatives. Eldar is married and has four children.

After the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, Kantemirov was among the Crimean Tatars who remained engaged in public life. He regularly attended court hearings in politically motivated cases, visited searches in Crimean Tatar homes, supported the families of political prisoners, and helped the community maintain solidarity amid increasing pressure from the occupation authorities.

Eldar attracted special attention from security forces after a solo protest in 2017. He stood with a placard reading "Crimean Tatars are not terrorists," protesting against the persecution of his people based on religious and national grounds. For this peaceful protest, he was detained and fined 10,000 rubles. Human rights activists believe that this action brought him to the attention of Russian security services.

In November 2017, the first search took place at Kantemirov's home involving OMON and special units. All electronic equipment was seized during the investigation. No charges were filed then, but security forces continued to visit his family, exerting psychological pressure, threatening, and hinting at the need to leave Crimea. Despite this, Eldar did not cease his public activities. He continued organizing children's events, participating in the Muslim community's life, and supporting the families of repressed Crimeans.

On June 10, 2019, as part of the so-called "Alushta Hizb ut-Tahrir case," Russian security forces conducted a series of searches in Crimean Tatar homes. Eldar Kantemirov was among those detained. Along with him, Ruslan Nagaev, Ruslan Mesutov, and Lenur Khalilov were arrested. All were accused of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir.

During his time in pre-trial detention, Eldar's health significantly deteriorated. Medical examinations revealed the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Additionally, chronic kidney problems worsened. Lawyers and family repeatedly reported inadequate medical care and harsh detention conditions.

On August 16, 2021, a Russian court in Rostov-on-Don delivered a verdict in the "Alushta case." Eldar Kantemirov was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Ukrainian human rights organizations recognized him as a person deprived of liberty for political reasons.

In October 2024, Kantemirov was transferred to IK-8 colony in Buryatia. The distance from Crimea to the place of imprisonment exceeds 7,000 kilometers. The family believes this transfer was a punishment for his complaints about rights violations and active legal stance. Transferring political prisoners thousands of kilometers from home is a common practice in the Russian penitentiary system, significantly complicating contact with families and lawyers.

In 2025, the family suffered another heavy blow. In occupied Crimea, Eldar's father, Shukri Kantemirov, passed away after a long illness. He did not live to see his son's return from Russian imprisonment.

At the beginning of 2026, it became known that Russia had stripped Eldar Kantemirov of Russian citizenship. Human rights activists warn that after his release, this may create additional obstacles for his return to his family in occupied Crimea if the peninsula remains under Russian control.

Information used from open sources: Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, CrimeaSOS, Suspilne Crimea, Ukrinform, Crimean Solidarity.

Photo: Suspilne Crimea.

Date updated: 07/11/2026.