Arrest: On June 10, 2019, in occupied Crimea, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Simferopol, Bilohirsk, and Alushta districts. In the village of Strohanivka, Simferopol district, a search took place at the Suleymanov family home. Following the search, Eskender Suleymanov was detained along with his younger brother Ruslan. Eskender Suleymanov was charged under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code for 'participation in the activities of a terrorist organization,' as well as under Part 1 of Article 30 and Article 278 for allegedly preparing to seize power by force. The criminal prosecution was related to the Hizb ut-Tahrir case. Human rights organizations consider such cases to be politically motivated.

Sentence: On March 18, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Eskender Suleymanov to 15 years of imprisonment. He was to spend the first 5 years in prison, followed by serving the remainder in a strict regime colony. After release, he was also assigned 1 year of restricted freedom. On July 7, 2023, the appellate court upheld the sentence, thereby enforcing the punishment imposed by the Russian court.

Eskender Serverovich Suleymanov was born on August 3, 1973, in Kokand, Fergana Region, Uzbekistan. He is a Crimean Tatar and a citizen of Ukraine.

After finishing school, he enrolled in a food technical college, specializing as a refrigeration mechanic. In 1993, he moved to Crimea with his family. After relocating, he worked as an electrician on a collective farm.

In 1994, Eskender Suleymanov was drafted for military service, which he completed over approximately one and a half years. After returning to civilian life, he continued working in technical fields.

Since 2012, Suleymanov worked as a technical engineer at the cable network company Ardinvest. CrimeaSOS also notes him as a refrigeration mechanic by education and a technical specialist by profession.

Eskender Suleymanov was unmarried and lived with his elderly parents, whom he cared for. Before his arrest, he also supported Crimean Tatars persecuted after the occupation of Crimea. He attended court hearings in politically motivated cases, assisted compatriots, and organized deliveries to pre-trial detention centers.

In 2019, he became one of the defendants in a large-scale criminal case against Crimean Tatars, which human rights activists associate with the persecution of Muslims in Crimea on charges of affiliation with Hizb ut-Tahrir. On June 10, 2019, after the search in Strohanivka, Suleymanov was taken into custody. Along with him, seven other Crimean Tatars were detained as part of this wave of persecution.

Subsequently, charges under Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code were added to the case. The prosecution was carried out by Russian authorities as part of the so-called 'Case 25,' which included Crimean Muslims accused of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir. In Ukraine, this organization is not banned as a terrorist entity.

While in the pre-trial detention center, Suleymanov's health deteriorated. According to the Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, he suffered from aggravated duodenal ulcers, chronic foot fungus, and eczema.

On March 18, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don delivered a guilty verdict to Eskender Suleymanov, sentencing him to 15 years of imprisonment. Suleymanov did not admit guilt. In his final statement, he expressed no illusions about the court's decision but maintained hope and refused to despair.

On July 7, 2023, the appellate court left the sentence unchanged. Following this, Suleymanov continued serving his sentence in Russia. As of September 11, 2026, his last confirmed place of detention is the FKU 'Prison of the GUFSIN of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region' in the city of Verkhneuralsk.

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

Photo: Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Last updated: 11.09.2026.