Detention: On July 7, 2020, during large-scale searches in Crimea, Russian security forces detained Zekirya Muratov. He was one of seven Crimean Tatars prosecuted in another case against Crimean Muslims. Six detainees, including Muratov, were arrested the same day by the occupying Kyiv District Court of Simferopol and placed in a pre-trial detention centre. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code — 'participation in the activities of a terrorist organization'. Later, charges were supplemented with articles related to alleged preparation for a coup.

Sentence: On February 12, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Zekirya Muratov to 11 years and 6 months in a strict regime colony. He was to serve the first three years of his sentence in prison. Upon release, the court also imposed restrictions on his freedom.

The defense insisted on Muratov's innocence, noting the lack of evidence of terrorist acts. In July 2023, the Russian Court of Cassation upheld the sentence. Human rights organizations and the Ukrainian side consider Muratov's prosecution politically motivated.

Zekirya Muratov was born on June 28, 1957, in Uzbekistan, where his family was deported along with the Crimean Tatar people. After returning to Crimea in 1989, he settled in the village of Orikhivka, Kirovskyi district. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Muratov was married and had two children. Over the years, he worked as a tractor driver and projectionist, and also taught music.

After serving in the Soviet army, Muratov entered the Tashkent State Conservatory. Upon returning to Crimea, he worked as a clarinet teacher at a music school in the village of Kirovske. Later, his family moved to Alushta, where Muratov became involved in the local Muslim community and met Crimean Tatars who were later prosecuted in the so-called 'Alushta Hizb ut-Tahrir case'.

Muratov was also engaged in public activities. According to human rights defenders, he was a volunteer, attended court hearings in cases involving Crimean Tatars, and supported compatriots persecuted by the Russian occupation authorities. His defense cited this public activity as a significant context for the criminal prosecution.

The detention on July 7, 2020, was part of a mass wave of persecution against Crimean Tatars. Russian investigators accused Muratov of involvement with 'Hizb ut-Tahrir'. Russia declared this organization terrorist in 2003, while it is not banned as a terrorist organization in Ukraine and several other countries. Human rights defenders emphasize that no facts of preparation or commission of terrorist acts have been established in Crimean 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' cases.

At the first court hearing, Muratov stated that he did not plead guilty. He emphasized that he is a citizen of Ukraine and that before the occupation of Crimea, the activities of this organization were not prohibited on the peninsula. The defense also pointed to the absence of weapons, explosives, or evidence of preparation for violent actions in the case.

Muratov's health condition was severe from the beginning of his imprisonment. He has a third-degree disability, musculoskeletal disorders, chronic hypertension, and heart failure. He received his disability after serving in the Soviet army, when severe frostbite led to muscle atrophy in his lower limb. He also underwent surgeries for gallbladder removal and hernia treatment.

In March 2021, Muratov suffered a hypertensive crisis in the pre-trial detention centre. In the summer of that year, he fell seriously ill with COVID-19 and bilateral pneumonia. He was hospitalized in a prison hospital in Rostov-on-Don. According to the Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, about 50% of his lungs were affected, and treatment lasted 48 days.

After sentencing, Muratov was transferred to Russian penal institutions. In 2024, it was reported that he was moved from a prison in Balashov, Saratov region, to Correctional Colony No. 5 in Nizhny Novgorod. Relatives reported that he required constant medication for high blood pressure and heart pain.

In 2024–2025, Muratov remained among the older Crimean political prisoners and people with disabilities held in Russian detention. Human rights defenders repeatedly highlighted the risks to his life due to age, health condition, and inadequate detention conditions.

As of September 7, 2026, Zekirya Muratov continues to serve the sentence imposed by Russia.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Ukrinform, Krym.Realii, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

Photo: ZMINA.

Update date: 07.09.2026.