Detention: On March 27, 2019, Rustem Sheikhaliev was detained by Russian security forces during mass searches of Crimean Tatar homes in Simferopol and the Simferopol district. He was accused of participating in the activities of the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir and preparing for a violent seizure of power. Human rights organizations consider Sheikhaliev's persecution to be politically motivated.

Sentence: On November 24, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Rustem Sheikhaliev to 14 years of imprisonment. The first four years were to be served in prison, after which he was to be transferred to a strict regime colony; restrictions on freedom were also to be imposed after release. On February 1, 2024, the appellate court upheld the sentence.

Rustem Dinarovich Sheikhaliev was born on June 22, 1979, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. His family belonged to the Crimean Tatars, who were deported from Crimea by Soviet authorities in 1944. Rustem was the eldest of three children. At the age of 14, he returned to Crimea with his family, where he continued his education in Simferopol. After school, he trained as an electric gas welder at a vocational school. Later, he engaged in entrepreneurship, trading fruits and vegetables at Simferopol's Central Market.

Sheikhaliev was married and had three children. Outside his professional activities, he actively assisted his community, including organizing children's events and helping those in need. After the Russian occupation of Crimea began, he attended court hearings in cases involving Crimean Tatars, supported the families of political prisoners, and delivered packages to detainees.
In 2015, Rustem Sheikhaliev began engaging in citizen journalism. He covered searches, detentions, court proceedings, and other instances of persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea. He was a citizen journalist.

On March 27, 2019, a large-scale operation by Russian security forces took place in Crimea, involving mass searches of Crimean Tatar homes. Sheikhaliev was detained during this operation. Initially held in Crimea, he was later transferred to Russia, where he was held in a pre-trial detention centre in Rostov-on-Don. CrimeaSOS emphasizes that the persecution was related to accusations of alleged involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization permitted in Ukraine and many other countries but banned by Russian authorities.

On November 24, 2022, the court in Rostov-on-Don found Sheikhaliev guilty of terrorist activities and preparing for a violent seizure of power, sentencing him to 14 years of imprisonment. Sheikhaliev and other defendants did not plead guilty and considered the persecution politically motivated.

In 2024, the political prisoner's health began to cause serious concern. In January, during a court session, he experienced severe nosebleeds twice. Later reports indicated high blood pressure, headaches, significant weight loss, and varicose veins.

In April 2024, Sheikhaliev was transferred to a prison in Yeniseisk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. In February 2025, due to worsening leg conditions, he was taken to a prison hospital. In May 2025, it was reported that he was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 3 in the village of Srednebelaya, Amur Oblast, Russia, approximately 9,000 kilometers from Crimea.

According to the latest available reports in 2026, Rustem Sheikhaliev remains in Colony No. 3 in Amur Oblast. After a long visit with him, his wife reported the need for dental treatment and treatment for varicose veins. Sheikhaliev also complained of hypertension and constant headaches.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, CrimeaSOS, the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Ukrinform, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: ZMINA.

Update date: 21.10.2026.