Statement by the human rights organizations as to unlawful searches and detentions of the Crimean Tatar women

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Statement by the human rights organizations as to unlawful searches and detentions of the Crimean Tatar women

On 15 October 2025 the officers of the FSB of the RF broke into the dwellings of the Crimean Tatar women to carry out searches. At 4 a.m. in Bakhchisaray Esma Nimetulayeva, mother of five children and spouse of Remzi Nimetulayev, the political prisoner, was apprehended. In the village of Kholmovka of Bakhchisaray district Nasiba Saidova, a student of the pedagogical college who worked at the nursery, was detained. In the village of Dolynne of the same district Elviza Aliyeva, 20, employed as a cashier at the bakery of Simferopol, was apprehended. In the village of Orlovka near Sevastopol Fevziye Osmanova, 21, was detained.

All apprehended women were convoyed to “the Department of the FSB of the Republic of Crimea” in Simferopol. They are charged under the Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the RF (organization and/or participation in activity of the terrorist organization).

On 16 October “Kyiv district court” at the hearings closed to the public ruled to place Esma Nimetulayeva, Elviza Aliyeva, Nasiba Saidova and Fevziye Osmanova into SIZO for 2 months. Thus, the occupying court deprived the five kids of Esma and Remzi Nimetulayev (one of the children is not yet 5 years old) of parental care.

This is the first known case on the charges of participation at Khizb ut-Takhrir in Crimea initiated against the Crimean Tatar women. For years of occupation the FSB put in place the criminal persecution of the Crimean Tatar activists and the civil journalists on the spurious charges for alleged participation at Khizb ut-Takhrir. Prior to that only men had been imprisoned on the charges of the kind.

Human rights activists emphasize that over the past two years, the persecution of women in Crimea has significantly increased. For example, until 2022, there were up to five women on the lists of political prisoners. Currently, there are more than 40 women imprisoned in Crimea for political reasons. In such cases, the occupation courts ignore the fact that women have young children, elderly dependent parents, and serious illnesses. In addition, the sentences for women have increased significantly. Until 2022, the longest sentence was for Ukrainian volunteer Halyna Dovhopoliy, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, in 2024-2025, the occupation authorities toughened sentences against women. For example, Ukrainian philologist Oksana Senezhuk was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Nina Tymoshenko to 16 years, and Nadiya Grekova to 22 years in prison. The actions of the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea indicate that women on the peninsula have become a new group of Ukrainian citizens who are being persecuted on purpose.

We, the representatives of the human rights organizations, condemn the politically motivated persecution of the Crimean Tatar women apprehended on 15 October in the temporarily occupied Crimea, Esma Nimetulayeva, Nasiba Saidova and Fevziye Osmanova, and demand the authorities of the RF:

to free at once the unlawfully detained nationals of Ukraine and all civilians imprisoned on political grounds and detained in the territory of the AR of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, other occupied territories of Ukraine and the territory of the Russian Federationя
to cease the politically motivated persecution of the nationals of Ukraine in the territories occupied by Russia and in the territory of the Russian Federation;
to cease the application of the criminal legislation of the RF in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in breach of the international law.

We urge the competent authorities of Ukraine:

to guarantee the thorough investigation of the circumstances of the unlawful imprisonment and denial of the right for a fair trial of the nationals of Ukraine – Esma Nimetulayeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Aliyeva and Fevziye Osmanova;
to implement personal sanctions against the nationals of the RF involved in unlawful imprisonment and denial of the right for a fair trial of the nationals of Ukraine – Esma Nimetulayeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Aliyeva and Fevziye Osmanova;
to provide all necessary support to the civilians harmed by the unlawful and politically motivated persecution as a result of the armed aggression against Ukraine.

We urge the international community, the participating states of the International Crimea Platform, in particular:

to address the authorized persons of the Russian Federation demanding to free at once Esma Nimetulayeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Aliyeva and Fevziye Osmanova;
to implement personal sanctions against the nationals of the RF involved in unlawful imprisonment and denial of the right for a fair trial of the nationals of Ukraine – Esma Nimetulayeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Aliyeva and Fevziye Osmanova;
to hold the international consultations in order to find the mechanisms to free the unlawfully imprisoned persons and to monitor their state of health in the territory of the RF;
to strengthen the diplomatic, sanctions and other kinds of pressure on Russia in order to prevent new flagrant violations of the human rights as to the nationals of Ukraine in the territory of the RF and the territories occupied by it;
to support the Government of Ukraine in investigation of the war crimes, crimes against humanity and flagrant violations of the human rights in the occupied Crimea and other occupied territories;
to use to maximum possible extent the International Platform for the release of civilians arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation, within the scope of the para. 4 of the Peace Formula, the International Crimea Platform, the mechanisms of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and other international organizations to quicken the deliberation of the Crimean political prisoners, civilians in the occupied territories, to effectively react at the violations of the human rights in the occupied Crimea and to facilitate the deoccupation of all territories of Ukraine;
to further increase comprehensive support of Ukraine, including the military one, in order to get all territories of Ukraine deoccupied, including the AR of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as requisite condition for the protection of the human rights and end of the politically motivated persecution of the nationals of Ukraine.

Crimean Human Rights Group
Human Rights House Crimea
Crimea SOS
Group of Influence
Center for Civil Liberties
Donbas SOS
Human Rights Centre DIYA
Human Rights Centre ZMINA
Crimean process
Media Initiative for Human Rights
Crisis Insight
Centre of civil education “Almenda”
Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group