Detention: On July 7, 2020, in the settlement of Oktyabrske (Krasnogvardeysky district), temporarily occupied Crimea, Emil was detained at his home by FSB officers. He was accused of organizing a cell of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned and recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia since 2003. Before 2014, the organization had thousands of supporters among Crimean Muslims and held public events, now it operates freely in Ukraine and most European countries.

Sentence: On April 19, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Emil Ziyadinov to 17 years in prison. He was found guilty of organizing activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization and allegedly preparing for the violent seizure of power. On November 7, 2022, the Russian Military Appeal Court upheld the sentence.

Emil Ismailovich Ziyadinov was born on June 19, 1984, in the village of Urtaaul, Kalininsky district, Tashkent region (Uzbekistan). Like many Crimean Tatars of his generation, he was born far from his historical homeland due to the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people in 1944. In 1993, he moved with his parents to Crimea, to the village of Zhovtneve. He studied at the national school No. 3 named after Ismail Gasprinsky until the 9th grade. Then, from grades 9 to 11, he attended school No. 2, now a school-gymnasium.

After finishing school, Emil entered TNU to study physical education. He graduated with honors in 2006.

In 2010, he got married. The Ziyadinov family has four sons. The eldest son, Asadullah, was born in 2011, followed by Umar in 2014, Dawud in 2014, and Muhammad in 2018.

In 2017, he performed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

In 2019, he completed courses and received a diploma as an electrician. He worked in this new profession for 9 months.

Emil is very fond of sports. In childhood, he practiced karate, winning medals for 1st and 2nd places. During university, he practiced taekwondo. In his hometown, he coached children.

Emil Ziyadinov actively supported Crimean Muslim political prisoners and their families. In 2018, he held a solo picket with a poster saying 'Muslims are not terrorists,' and frequently traveled to courts in Moscow and Rostov to support compatriots. He delivered parcels to political prisoners in detention. He also arrived at search sites of previously arrested co-religionists.

In 2018, he held a solo picket with a poster saying 'Muslims are not terrorists,' protesting against the persecution of Crimean Tatars based on religion. For this action, he was detained and held administratively liable. Human rights defenders emphasize that his civic activism was one of the reasons for his subsequent criminal prosecution.

On July 7, 2020, FSB officers conducted large-scale searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Crimea. After searching Emil Ziyadinov's house, he was detained along with several other Crimean Tatar activists. All were accused of involvement in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Human rights organizations note that the evidence in the case was primarily based on covert audio recordings of religious discussions, expert opinions, and testimony from a secret witness. No evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts was presented.

The trial lasted almost two years. During the hearings, Emil Ziyadinov did not plead guilty, and the lawyers insisted on the political nature of the prosecution. Despite this, on April 19, 2022, the court sentenced him to 17 years in prison. The appeal court in November 2022 upheld the sentence. Ukrainian human rights organizations and international institutions called the case politically motivated.

After the sentence, Emil was transferred to a prison in the Lipetsk region and later to correctional colony No. 5 in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia. There, he systematically faced disciplinary punishments. In 2024–2025, he was held almost continuously in a punishment cell (SHIZO), and at the beginning of 2026, he was transferred to a strict regime barrack (SUS). According to his wife and human rights defenders, during his isolation, he was deprived of long visits, phone calls, parcels, and the opportunity to regularly communicate with his family. There were also reports of his deteriorating health and lack of proper medical care.

The case of Emil Ziyadinov is seen by Ukrainian and international human rights organizations as an example of systemic persecution of Crimean Tatars in the temporarily occupied peninsula. His name is regularly included in lists of Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin, and international organizations call for his release and the cessation of persecution of Ukrainian citizens for political and religious reasons.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Solidarity, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Crimean Platform, USCIRF (U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom).

Photo: USCIRF (U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom).

Date updated: 12.07.2026