Detention: On December 8, 2023, Russian security forces detained Rustem Mevlyutov in the temporarily occupied Kherson region. He resided in the village of Shchaslyvtseve, Henichesk district. The Russian side accused him of participating in an illegal armed formation — the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan. According to the investigation, Mevlyutov allegedly supported the operation of a Ukrainian checkpoint in the Chongar area in 2016.

Sentence: On May 23, 2024, the illegal occupation Henichesk District Court of Kherson region found Rustem Mevlyutov guilty under part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code — participation in an armed formation on the territory of a foreign state not provided for by the legislation of that state, claiming that such activity allegedly contradicted Russia's interests. He was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment. According to human rights defenders, the sentence was not appealed and became legally binding. The estimated date for the completion of the sentence is June 17, 2027.

Rustem Remziyevich Mevlyutov was born on June 8, 1965. He is a Ukrainian citizen and lived in the village of Shchaslyvtseve, Henichesk district, Kherson region. At the time of his detention, he was 58 years old. After the occupation of parts of the Kherson region by Russian forces, his native village came under Russian control.

According to the Russian investigation, the criminal prosecution of Mevlyutov concerned events from 2016. He was accused of allegedly participating in the activities of the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan. Russian security forces claimed he allegedly ensured the functioning of a Ukrainian checkpoint near Chongar, including participating in its construction and obstructing the movement of goods to occupied Crimea. These claims originate from the Russian side and have not been established by an independent Ukrainian court.

On December 8, 2023, Mevlyutov was detained.

On May 23, 2024, the occupation Henichesk District Court issued a guilty verdict and sentenced Mevlyutov to 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment. He was charged under part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code. Human rights defenders note that the criminal prosecution was related to the exercise of the right to freedom of association and other guaranteed rights.

In June 2025, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center included Rustem Mevlyutov in a list of at least 25 elderly Crimean political prisoners held by Russia in pre-trial detention centers and colonies. At that time, he was 60 years old. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center emphasized that prolonged imprisonment poses a particular danger to elderly political prisoners due to chronic illnesses, inadequate detention conditions, and insufficient medical care.

As of September 7, 2026, Rustem Mevlyutov remains imprisoned.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Update date: 09/07/2026.