Detention: On March 5, 2024, FSB officers conducted a large-scale wave of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Dzhankoy and the Dzhankoy district. Following the search, Arsen Kashka was detained along with other Crimean Tatar activists, who are involved in the so-called 'third Dzhankoy Hizb ut-Tahrir case'.

Sentence: As of July 18, 2026, no verdict has been issued. Arsen Kashka is accused in the so-called 'third Dzhankoy Hizb ut-Tahrir case'. The Russian Federation charges him with participation in the activities of the organization 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' (part 2 of article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code). Human rights organizations consider the criminal prosecution politically motivated.

Arsen Jelalovich Kashka was born on August 29, 1984. He lived in the village of Istochnoye, Krasnoperekopsk district, Autonomous Republic of Crimea. He is a Crimean Tatar, a public activist, married, and a father of six children. His youngest child was born the night after his detention in March 2024. Before his arrest, Arsen Kashka actively supported Crimean political prisoners and their families. He regularly attended politically motivated court hearings, assisted the families of those unlawfully imprisoned, participated in public initiatives, flash mobs in support of political prisoners, and was involved in organizing iftars and other events of the Crimean Tatar community. According to human rights defenders, this civic activity was one of the reasons for the increased attention from Russian security forces.

On March 5, 2024, FSB officers conducted a large-scale wave of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Dzhankoy and the Dzhankoy district. Following the search, Arsen Kashka was detained along with other Crimean Tatar activists, who are involved in the so-called 'third Dzhankoy Hizb ut-Tahrir case'. Human rights defenders reported that during some of the searches, law enforcement officers might have planted prohibited literature, which was later used as one of the 'evidences' in criminal proceedings.

After his detention, Arsen Kashka was placed in pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Simferopol. According to the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, he lost consciousness twice while in custody, raising concerns about his health. Despite this, according to relatives and human rights defenders, he remained resilient and maintained his morale.

Russian investigators accused Arsen Kashka of participating in the activities of the Islamic political party 'Hizb ut-Tahrir', which is recognized as terrorist in Russia, although it is not banned in Ukraine and most democratic countries worldwide. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations emphasize that Russia unlawfully applies its criminal law in the occupied Crimea, and most such cases are based on dubious expert opinions, testimonies of anonymous witnesses, and participation in religious discussions rather than evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts.

On July 31, 2024, a Russian-controlled court changed Arsen Kashka's preventive measure from detention to house arrest. This decision was an exception among the defendants in this case, most of whom remained in the detention centre. Despite the change in preventive measure, the criminal prosecution continues, and the case is being considered by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don.

As of July 18, 2026, no verdict has been issued in Arsen Kashka's case. His case is under constant monitoring by Ukrainian and international human rights organizations, which view it as part of systemic repression against Crimean Tatars on the temporarily occupied peninsula.

Information used from open sources: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne Crimea, Center for Civil Liberties, 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial'.

Photo: Suspilne Crimea.

Date of update: 18.07.2026