Detention: On July 7, 2020, Alim Sufyanov was detained during mass searches by Russian security forces in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Bakhchisaray, Simferopol, and other districts of occupied Crimea. The search at his residence took place in the village of Zaliznychne, Bakhchisaray district. Seven people were detained that day, six of whom, including Sufyanov, were taken into custody.

Sentence: On May 17, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Alim Sufyanov to 12 years of imprisonment. He was to serve the first 4 years in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony. The court also imposed 1 year of restricted freedom after release. He was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 205.5 and Part 1 of Article 30, Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code. On September 13, 2024, the Military Court of Appeal in Vlasikha upheld the sentence. Alim Sufyanov did not admit guilt for the charges against him.

Alim Sufyanov was born on May 16, 1990. He is a Crimean Tatar, a citizen of Ukraine and Russia. Before his detention, he lived in Crimea and worked as a hairdresser.

In 2012, Sufyanov graduated from the design and technology bureau in the service sector "Krym-Service," where he trained as a hairdresser. In 2013, he opened his own private business and worked in his profession until his arrest.

Sufyanov was also involved in creative activities—he was skilled in drawing and singing. He participated in organizing Muslim holidays, including Kurban Bayram and Eid al-Fitr. He married in 2018.

After the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea, Alim Sufyanov took an active civic stance. He attended court hearings in politically motivated cases against Crimean Tatars and supported compatriots persecuted by the Russian occupation authorities. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center characterized him as an activist who regularly attended politically motivated court processes.

On July 7, 2020, Russian security forces conducted a series of searches in Crimea. Among those searched was Sufyanov's house in the village of Zaliznychne, Bakhchisaray district. After the search, he was detained and taken to the FSB in Simferopol. The next day, the occupation Kyiv District Court of Simferopol imposed a preventive measure of detention on him.

Sufyanov was accused of involvement in the activities of the organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir," which Russia has recognized as terrorist and banned on its territory. Human rights organizations emphasize that in Ukraine, "Hizb ut-Tahrir" is not banned, and the criminal prosecution of Crimean Muslims for alleged participation in its activities is considered politically motivated.

While in custody, Sufyanov was subjected to a forced psychiatric examination. In 2020, he spent over a month in Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 in Simferopol. After returning to the pre-trial detention center, he reported inadequate conditions and lack of proper care.

On May 17, 2023, the court sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment. Sufyanov and another defendant in the case, Seyran Khayredinov, received the same sentences. In September 2024, the Military Court of Appeal in Vlasikha confirmed the sentence. At the end of 2024, Sufyanov was transferred from Pre-trial Detention Center No. 3 in Novocherkassk to Prison No. 2 in Vladimir.

On December 28, 2024, he was transferred from Vladimir Prison. Through Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 in St. Petersburg, he was later sent to Karelia. The journey was difficult, as Sufyanov informed his mother in a letter.

In February 2026, it became known that Alim Sufyanov was delivered to Correctional Colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia.

As of September 13, 2026, Alim Sufyanov remains imprisoned in FKU "IK No. 9 UFSIN of Russia for the Republic of Karelia" in Petrozavodsk.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, CrimeaSOS, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: ZMINA.

Last updated: 13.09.2026.