Arsen Abkhairov
Arsen Abkhairov, born 1985, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 205.5 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of a terrorist organization); “The case of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Krasnogvardeisk district”. Sentence (November 2, 2020): 13 years’ imprisonment in a strict regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since February 15, 2019; place of detention: Penal colony No. 9, Chuvashia. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, February 5, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, March 27, 2019.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Simferopol · Shop assistants · Terrorism cases, Cases against Hizb ut-Tahrir
Sentence
13 years
imprisonment in a strict regime colony
Upheld October 31, 2021
Charges
- Article 205.5 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of a terrorist organization
Full wording of the charges
He participated in the activities of a terrorist organisation
Latest event
October 31, 2021 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, February 5, 2020
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, March 27, 2019
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 13 years
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
· Persecution begins
The case of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Krasnogvardeisk district
Criminal case
The case of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Krasnogvardeisk district
Other defendants in the case
- Eskender Abdulganiev — Imprisoned, 12 years
- Rustem Emiruseinov — Imprisoned, 17 years
Thematic group: The case of "Hizb ut-Tahrir" in Krasnogvardeyskiy District
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 9, Chuvashia
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
429900,Чувашская Республика, г. Цивильск, ул. Северная, д. 13, ФКУ «ИК № 9 УФСИН России по Чувашии», Абхаиров Арсен Ремзиевич, 1985 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 14 February 2019, Arsen was detained in the Krasnogvardeiskii district of Crimea and the next day taken into custody by court order on charges of participation in the activities of a terrorist organization due to his alleged involvement in the Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir. On 3 November 2020, he was sentenced to 13 years in a strict regime colony. On 16 April 2021, the court of appeals referred the case to the court of original jurisdiction to eliminate procedural errors. On 1 November, the sentence was confirmed.
In September 2023, it was reported that Abkhairov’s time spent in custody prior to the court’s sentence coming into force had not been counted toward his time to be served in prison. According to Abkhairov’s own calculations, he should have already been transferred from prison to a strict regime colony. In June 2024, it turned out that he had spent two and a half months more in prison than he should have due to an error in the court indictment.
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.5 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.