Detention: On January 23, 2018, a search was conducted at Ismail Ramazanov's home in the village of Novyi Svit, Simferopol district, Crimea. He was detained the same day. The Investigative Committee of Russia charged him with 'extremism propaganda' for disseminating materials that 'incite interethnic enmity and interreligious hatred' via the internet radio app Zello. Ramazanov was detained during a broader wave of searches in several districts of Crimea. On January 24, the Simferopol District Court of Crimea arrested him for 30 days. During the court session, he could barely stand and claimed that FSB officers had beaten him. The court rejected the defense's requests, including for an ambulance.

Sentence: Ismail Ramazanov was held in custody for six months, the maximum allowable pre-trial detention for this category of cases. On July 14, 2018, he was released from the pre-trial detention centre. On January 16, 2019, the criminal case was closed. Later, his name was removed from the Russian 'List of Terrorists and Extremists.'

Ismail Ramazanov is a Crimean Tatar activist from the Simferopol district of Crimea. After his release, he moved to Kyiv and became actively involved in the civic movement for the release of all Crimean political prisoners. Following Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, he joined the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and defended Kyiv. In February 2023, he discussed this in an exclusive interview for the 'Crimean Question' project on Suspilne.

His father, Seitnebi Ramazanov, remained in Crimea in the village of Rodnikove, Simferopol district. On February 6, 2025, after Ismail's release, a search was conducted at his father's house. Preliminary reports suggest the search was related to investigative actions concerning Ismail Ramazanov, who was outside Crimea at the time. During the search, Ismail's documents, photographs, and his father's phone were seized. Seitnebi was not detained.

The Ramazanov case exemplifies the persecution of Crimean Tatar activists for online publications. Despite the eventual closure of the criminal case and removal from the 'extremist' list, pressure on the activist's family continues even after his release and departure from occupied Crimea, indicating systemic repression against those openly supporting Ukraine.

Information sourced from: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Radio Liberty (Crimea.Realii), Suspilne Crimea, CrimeaSOS.

Photo: ZMINA.

Last updated: 07/03/2026.