Detention: On February 5, 2025, FSB officers conducted a search at Abibulla Smedlyaiev's home, after which he was detained and taken to the FSB office in Simferopol. Along with him, four other Crimean Tatars were detained as part of the so-called fourth Dzhankoy case of 'Hizb ut-Tahrir'.

Sentence: As of July 22, 2026, there is no information on the sentence. The Russian Federation accuses Abibulla Smedlyaiev of participating in the activities of the Islamic political party 'Hizb ut-Tahrir', which the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has designated as a 'terrorist organization'. Ukrainian and international human rights defenders consider this persecution politically motivated and linked to systemic repression against Crimean Tatars.

Abibulla Smedlyaiev was born on May 3, 1991, a Crimean Tatar and resident of the Dzhankoy district of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. At the time of his detention, he was 33 years old. Abibulla is married to Liniza Smedlyaeva and is the father of four children. He worked in the civilian sector and was not associated with any violent or military structures.

On the night of February 5, 2025, FSB officers simultaneously conducted a series of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Dzhankoy district. During the search of Smedlyaiev's home, according to his wife, officers planted two religious books that the family did not previously own. Liniza Smedlyaeva stated they were familiar with all the items in their home, and the appearance of these books was unexpected. After the search, Abibulla was detained and taken to Simferopol.

On the same day, an occupation court ordered his detention. Later, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in Crimea upheld this decision, and in the spring of 2025, the arrest was extended for another three months. The defense emphasized that Smedlyaiev had a permanent residence, a family, no intention to hide, and could not influence the investigation, but the court did not consider these arguments.

The Russian authorities claim that Abibulla Smedlyaiev is allegedly a member of the 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' cell. Human rights defenders note that the case lacks evidence of preparation or commission of any violent acts. As in other Crimean cases of this category, the charges are mainly based on secret witnesses, religious literature, and expert conclusions. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center and 'Crimean Solidarity' view the case as an example of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars.

After his arrest, Abibulla Smedlyaiev was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Simferopol. By the summer of 2025, his wife reported a serious deterioration in his health. Before his detention, doctors diagnosed him with myopic astigmatism in the right eye and myopia in the left, and he regularly used glasses. During the search, his glasses were broken, and the detention center administration refused to allow an ophthalmologist to see him.

In addition to vision problems, the political prisoner reported severe tooth pain. Before his arrest, he had not completed dental treatment, but in the detention center, he was also denied dental care. Liniza Smedlyaeva repeatedly appealed to the detention center administration to allow a dentist and an ophthalmologist, but received formal responses about forwarding the requests to the medical unit without actual assistance. Human rights defenders emphasize that the denial of medical care violates prisoners' rights.

At the end of 2025, five defendants in the fourth Dzhankoy case, including Abibulla Smedlyaiev, were transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Simferopol to Rostov-on-Don for further court proceedings in the Southern District Military Court. Relatives expressed concern about the lengthy transfer and the deterioration of the political prisoners' health.

As of July 22, 2026, Abibulla Smedlyaiev remains in custody. There is no information in open sources about a verdict or his release. His case remains an example of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars in the temporarily occupied peninsula.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Crimean Solidarity, Ukrinform, ZMINA.

Photo: ZMINA.

Update date: July 22, 2026.