Arrest: On May 10, 2018, Russian security forces conducted searches at the home of Enver Seitosmanov and his brother Ernes in the village of Baidary (Orlyne), Balaklava district of Sevastopol, as well as at their mother's house in the village of Sadove, Nyzhniohirskyi district.

After the searches, Enver and Ernes were taken to the FSB office. Ernes was released after questioning, while Enver was detained. On May 11, 2018, the occupation court in Sevastopol ordered his detention. Russian security forces accused Enver Seitosmanov of involvement with the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. Initially, he was charged under part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code, which was later reclassified to part 1 of the same article.

Sentence: On December 5, 2019, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Enver Seitosmanov to 17 years in a strict regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom after release. On April 16, 2020, the Military Court of Appeal in Vlasikha, Moscow region, upheld the sentence. Enver Seitosmanov denied the charges, calling the prosecution politically motivated and linked to religious discrimination.

Enver Kazimovich Seitosmanov was born on November 10, 1986, in Uzbekistan to a Crimean Tatar family. After the family returned to Crimea, they settled in the village of Sadove, Nyzhniohirskyi district. Enver completed school and attended the Bilohirsk Vocational School of Agriculture and Food, where he trained as a tractor driver-mechanic.

He worked at various times as a tractor driver, driver, mechanic, and builder. He also engaged in farming, growing vegetables and tending livestock.

Enver actively participated in the public and religious life of the Crimean Tatar community. He helped organize religious holidays, assisted in mosque repairs, and supported families of Crimean political prisoners.

In the years leading up to his arrest, he lived with his brother Ernes in the village of Tylove, Balaklava district of Sevastopol.

Following the onset of mass persecution of Crimean Tatars in Crimea, Enver Seitosmanov assisted families targeted by the Russian occupation authorities. According to the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, this activity attracted the attention of Russian security forces. The brothers were summoned for questioning, pressured, and asked to testify against others.

On May 10, 2018, the Seitosmanov brothers' home was surrounded by Russian security forces. During the search, books, a tablet, and a mobile phone were seized. After being taken to the FSB, Ernes Seitosmanov was questioned as a witness and released, while Enver was detained.

During the trial, the prosecution linked him to the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Human rights defenders noted the lack of evidence of Enver's preparation of terrorist acts, use of weapons or explosives, or calls for violence.

On December 5, 2019, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. In his final statement, Enver Seitosmanov declared that Crimean Tatars and Muslims prosecuted in similar cases are not terrorists, and his prosecution is politically motivated. He also emphasized that he is a Ukrainian citizen unlawfully transferred from occupied Crimea to Russia.

On April 16, 2020, the appellate court upheld the sentence. In May 2020, Enver Seitosmanov was transferred from Crimea to Russia to serve his sentence. The transfer of a Ukrainian citizen from occupied Crimea to the territory of the occupying state is considered by human rights defenders as a violation of international humanitarian law.

As of September 10, 2026, Enver Seitosmanov continues to serve his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 16 in Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. This information is confirmed by current data from the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Information sourced from: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, CrimeaSOS, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrinform, Radio Liberty.

Photo: ZMINA.

Last updated: 10.09.2026.