31 July 2026

Face of Resistance: The Story of Political Prisoner Zavur Abdullayev

Life before the detention

Zavur Abdullayev was born on April 9, 1973. He is a Crimean Tatar residing in the village of Kholmivka, Bakhchysarai district. He is a chef-griller by profession.

He lived in Crimea with his family. He regularly attended politically motivated court hearings against Crimean Tatars and actively participated in fundraising and providing food supplies for the families of Crimean political prisoners.

Persecution

On August 17, 2021, Russian security forces unlawfully detained Zavur Abdullayev following a search of his home. During the morning search of his home, security forces seized religious books and pamphlets classified as prohibited in the Russian Federation. The defense emphasized that some of this literature may have been planted by FSB officers during the search, which is a common practice for the occupying forces.

Zavur was accused of alleged “participation in the activities of a terrorist organization” in a fabricated “Hizb ut-Tahrir” case, as well as preparing for a violent seizure of power. Audio recordings of religious gatherings of Crimean Muslims served as the “evidence”.

On May 31, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Zavur Abdullayev to 12 years in prison.

Behind  bars

In April 2026, Zavur Abdullayev turned 53. He is serving his unlawfully imposed sentence at Penal Colony No. 1 in Tambov, hundreds of kilometers away from his Crimean homeland and his family. 

During his imprisonment, his health has deteriorated sharply. He suffers from chronic diabetes, arterial hypertension, and a growth on his leg, yet he receives no adequate medical care. Due to the systematic denial of treatment, his teeth have almost completely decayed, his vision has critically worsened, and every day spent in the colony poses a growing threat to his life and health. Despite this, the colony administration continues to ignore his condition, turning the lack of medical care into another instrument of pressure and punishment.