Detention: On October 15, 2025, FSB officers conducted simultaneous searches in the homes of Crimean Tatar women in the Bakhchisaray district and Sevastopol region. A search was also conducted at Fevziye Osmanova's home in the village of Orlivka, after which she was detained and taken to the FSB building in Simferopol. Along with her, Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, and Elviza Aliyeva were also detained. Human rights organizations emphasized 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 a 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 that Russia has designated as terrorist. Ukrainian human rights defenders emphasize that such criminal cases are based on dubious expert assessments, 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, along with other detained women, was sent for a stationary forensic psychiatric examination, after which she was 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 worsening conditions of her detention. 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 relatives, Fevziye reported that the new room was cold and damp, located on the shadow side of the building. These conditions raised concerns among human rights defenders, who reported violations of the rights of imprisoned 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 open verified sources about the issuance of a final sentence 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.

Date of update: 21.07.2026.