Detention: On October 15, 2025, FSB officers conducted a series of searches at the homes of Crimean Tatar women in the Bakhchisaray district and Sevastopol region.

On October 15, 2025, FSB officers conducted a series of searches at the homes of Crimean Tatar women in the Bakhchisaray district and Sevastopol region. A search was conducted at Fevziye Osmanova's home in the village of Orlivka, after which she was detained and taken to the FSB building in Simferopol. Esma Nimetullaeva, Nasiba Saidova, and Elviza Aliyeva were detained along with her. Human rights organizations noted that this was the first case since the occupation of Crimea where Russia opened a Hizb ut-Tahrir case against several women simultaneously.

Sentence: As of July 21, 2026, there is no information about the sentence in open sources. The Russian Federation accuses Fevziye Osmanova under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code (“participation in the activities of a terrorist organization”), linking the case to alleged involvement with the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations consider the persecution politically motivated and emphasize that the case is part of a systematic campaign of repression against Crimean Tatars.

Fevziye Osmanova was born on May 24, 2004. She is a Crimean Tatar and a resident of the village of Orlivka near Sevastopol. Before her arrest, she was the youngest among four Crimean Tatar women detained in the fall of 2025. There is little information in open sources about her professional activities or education, but human rights defenders note that she led a normal civilian life and was not involved in any violent activities.

After her detention, Fevziye Osmanova was charged under the article for participation in the activities of an organization recognized as terrorist by Russia. Ukrainian human rights defenders emphasize that such criminal cases are based on dubious expert opinions, testimonies of hidden witnesses, and do not meet international standards of fair trial. They view the criminal prosecution as a tool of pressure on the Crimean Tatar population of the occupied peninsula.

Following the decision of the occupation court, Fevziye Osmanova was placed in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Simferopol. At the end of 2025, she and other detained women were sent for a stationary forensic psychiatric examination, after which they were returned to the detention center. Human rights defenders have repeatedly stated that the use of psychiatric examinations in politically motivated cases raises serious concerns.

In May 2026, it became known about the deterioration of her detention conditions. According to Fevziye's mother, the administration of the detention center transferred her and other cellmates to a cell located in the men's section of the facility. In a letter to her family, Fevziye reported that the new premises were cold and damp, located on the shaded side of the building. These conditions raised concerns among human rights defenders, who reported violations of the rights of detained women.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, CrimeaSOS, Crimean Solidarity, and other human rights organizations condemned the detention of Fevziye Osmanova and other Crimean Tatar women. In their statements, they emphasized that the Russian Federation uses fabricated charges to intimidate the Crimean Tatar community and suppress any manifestations of civic activity. The international community was urged to demand their immediate release.

As of July 21, 2026, Fevziye Osmanova remains in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Simferopol. There is no information in verified open sources about a final verdict or her release. Her case is one of the most well-known examples of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatar women in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Solidarity, CrimeaSOS, Ukrinform, ZMINA, Human Rights Project “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial”.

Photo: Suspilne Crimea.

Update date: 21.07.2026.