Arsen Ablaev
Arsen Ablaev is listed as imprisoned, but other details in the same record do not agree:
- the 2 years 5 months term (verdict of September 25, 2023), counted from October 12, 2023 without credit for time served, ended on March 11, 2026.
Arsen Ablaev, born 1983, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 208 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in armed groups against the interests of the Russian Federation including in the…); “Arsen Ablaev' case of participation in the activities of an illegal armed formation”. Sentence (September 25, 2023): 4 years 5 months' imprisonment, of which the first year in prison and the rest in a strict-regime penal colony. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, August 24, 2025.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Entrepreneurs
Sentence
2 years 5 months
4 years 5 months' imprisonment, of which the first year in prison and the rest in a strict-regime penal colony.
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 208 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in armed groups against the interests of the Russian Federation including in the territory of a foreign state
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, being a resident of Melitopol and a citizen of Ukraine, in January 2016 he decided to join the Noman Chelebidzhikhan Battalion, an illegal armed formation operating on the border formed after 2014 between Crimea and mainland Ukraine. Noman Chelebidzhikhan - an illegal armed formation operating on the border formed after 2014 between Crimea and mainland Ukraine. According to the conclusions of the court, Ablaev, "being provided with firearms, <...> took an active part in its activities, performed functional duties to ensure the activities of the said formation, related to the maintenance of subsistence farming in the locations of the IAF ( illegal armed formation), providing its members with various food and uniforms, guarding the facilities of the IAF ( illegal armed formation), checking persons and vehicles at checkpoints on the State border between Ukraine and the Republic of Crimea of the Russian Federation". In autumn 2017, he left the location of the Battalion, but "did not apply to the law enforcement authorities of the Russian Federation with a statement" about the termination of his participation in the illegal armed formation, "thus continuing his criminal activity of participation in it".
Latest event
August 24, 2025 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, August 24, 2025
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 2 years 5 months
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Persecution begins
Arsen Ablaev' case of participation in the activities of an illegal armed formation
Criminal case
Arsen Ablaev' case of participation in the activities of an illegal armed formation
- Case number
- 1-266/2023
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Melitopol (Zaporozhye Region of Ukraine). Entrepreneur. He had a disabled brother, two children and an elderly father as a dependent. Presumably, on 24 February 2023, he was detained and taken to Simferopol, where on 25 February he was arrested for 10 days under the administrative article on disobeying a lawful order of police officers (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). On 6 March, Ablaev was placed in custody on charges of participation in the activities of an illegal armed formation in connection with involvement in the activities of the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Chelebidzhikhan. On 26 September 2025, he was sentenced to 4 years and 5 months' imprisonment in a strict-regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Ukraine
Other people prosecuted under Article 208 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.