Detention: On March 4, 2022, in occupied Crimea, Russian security forces detained Crimean Tatar activist and deputy head of the Kherson Regional Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Nasrulla Seydaliev. That day, he traveled to Crimea to visit his son living in the village of Strohanivka. Seydaliev was detained in Simferopol. Subsequently, a criminal case was initiated against him under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code for alleged participation in an illegal armed formation. Russian investigators linked Seydaliev's case to the so-called 'Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan.' According to the prosecution, he allegedly provided food to the formation's members and performed household tasks.

Sentence: On November 30, 2022, an occupation 'court' in Crimea sentenced Nasrulla Seydaliev to 9 years in a strict regime colony and 1 year of administrative supervision after release.

Nasrulla Seydaliev was born on April 29, 1959. He is a Crimean Tatar, a citizen of Ukraine, holds a higher education degree, and is married. Since 2016, he primarily resided in the village of Partizany, Henichesk district, Kherson region, but frequently visited his son in Strohanivka, Crimea.

At various times, Seydaliev worked as a driver and engaged in subsistence farming. He was also the deputy head of the Kherson Regional Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and participated in community activities.

Before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Seydaliev lived in the Henichesk district of Kherson region for over 50 years. After the occupation of the territory, he did not obtain a Russian passport and remained a Ukrainian citizen.

On March 4, 2022, after the full-scale Russian invasion, Seydaliev traveled to Crimea to see his son. During this trip, he was detained in Simferopol. He became one of the first residents of the Henichesk district to be unlawfully arrested by Russian occupation forces after February 24, 2022.

The Russian side accused him of participating in the so-called 'Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan.' According to the investigation, Seydaliev allegedly provided food to the formation, cleaned the area, gathered firewood, and performed other household tasks. The human rights project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial' notes that evidence of his participation in the formation was not adequately substantiated.

On November 30, 2022, the occupation 'court' sentenced Seydaliev to 9 years in a strict regime colony and one year of administrative supervision. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the charges were primarily based on the testimony of 'hidden witnesses' and expert conclusions that systematically cooperate with Russian security structures. The CTRC calls the case politically motivated and emphasizes violations of international law during its consideration.

After being transferred from occupied Crimea, Seydaliev ended up in a correctional facility in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. The conditions of detention negatively affected his health.

In 2024, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center reported a significant deterioration in Seydaliev's health. He lost about half of his weight, had high blood pressure, severe leg swelling, and a severe form of varicose disease. Due to health problems and inadequate nutrition, he sometimes had to eat only once a day.

In March 2025, the Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported that Seydaliev's condition was critical. Due to the exacerbation of chronic diseases, he spent 21 days in a hospital in Krasnoyarsk, but according to the Ukrainian side, did not receive proper treatment.

The Russian authorities also began considering him a citizen of Uzbekistan, although Seydaliev is a citizen of Ukraine. Documents he received in the place of detention mentioned possible deportation to Uzbekistan after release and a ban on entry to Russia. The CTRC emphasized that Nasrulla was born in Uzbekistan only due to the circumstances of the deportation of Crimean Tatars, but he does not hold citizenship of that state.

On August 28, 2025, Seydaliev was transferred from Minusinsk to the Altai Republic. For several months, his family did not know his whereabouts. It later became known that due to a critical deterioration in health, he spent about a month in a hospital in Barnaul. After that, he was taken to Correctional Colony No. 1 in the village of Maima, Altai Republic.

In the colony, according to the CTRC, necessary medications were taken from Seydaliev, and medicines sent by relatives did not reach him. He was also not allowed to use glasses due to the metal frame and was not taken for walks for a long time.

In January 2026, it became known that Russia included Nasrulla Seydaliev in its list of 'extremists and terrorists.' Simultaneously, the CTRC reported his unlawful transfer to Correctional Colony No. 1 in the village of Maima.

As of September 9, 2026, Nasrulla Seydaliev continues to serve an unlawful sentence in Correctional Colony No. 1 in the village of Maima, Altai Republic. According to the CTRC and Suspilne Crimea, he has been in solitary confinement for a long time without visits or parcels from his family. His health situation remains difficult.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, CrimeaSOS, Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Suspilne Crimea, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

Photo: Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Update date: 09.09.2026.