The prosecutor's office of occupied Crimea has referred the criminal case against four Crimean Tatar women from the Bakhchysarai district to the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. This is the first case in occupied Crimea involving the alleged participation of women in Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva, and Fevzie Osmanova were detained on October 15, 2025. Prior to this, Russian security forces had conducted searches of their homes in the villages of Kholmovka, Dolinnoye, and Orlovka.
According to the Russian investigation, between January and October 2025, Nimetulaeva allegedly organized the activities of the organization—which is banned in Russia—within the Bakhchysarai district, while the other women joined the cell she established. It is alleged that during closed meetings, they studied literature deemed extremist by Russian authorities and discussed the possibility of seizing state power.
All four women are charged under Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code regarding the activities of a terrorist organization. Nimetulaeva has been charged with organizing the activities of such an organization, while the others are charged with participating in it. Additionally, the women have been charged with preparing for the violent seizure of power under Article 278, in conjunction with Part 1 of Article 30 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The investigation into the case concluded on September 4. Relatives of the accused state that the case relies on the testimony of anonymous witnesses whose identities remain unknown to the women. The defense also pointed to irregularities in the case files and argued that the charges of terrorist activity were based solely on claims made by the FSB. Following their detention, the women were taken to the agency’s headquarters in Simferopol. On October 16, the occupation-era Kyivskyi District Court of Crimea remanded them to custody; the hearings to determine the pre-trial restriction were held behind closed doors.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has been banned in Russia as a terrorist organization since 2003. Following the occupation of Crimea, Russian security agencies extended this practice of persecution to the peninsula, initiating criminal cases against Crimean Muslims. Human rights defenders believe that Crimean Tatars are being persecuted not for plotting a coup or engaging in terrorism, but for criticizing the Russian authorities and speaking out against repression in Crimea.
