Today, we share the story of Crimean Tatar activist Remzi Bekirov, unlawfully sentenced by Russia to 19 years in a maximum-security penal colony.

Life before the detention 
Remzi Bekirov was born on February 20, 1985, in Bekabad, Uzbekistan, where his family had been forcibly deported by the Soviet totalitarian regime in 1944.

In September 1992, when he was seven, he returned to Crimea with his family, settling in the village of Pervomaiske in the Feodosiia district.

After graduating from high school in 2002, Remzi enrolled in the Faculty of History at V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, where he actively participated in history competitions, earning numerous awards. He also completed courses as a tour guide and learned to play the guitar. Due to the occupation of Crimea, which rendered the teaching of non-imperialist narratives impossible, he could not work in his field and instead became a construction worker.

What did the occupiers come up with?

The occupiers first detained Remzi Bekirov in February 2017 after he visited the site of mass searches in the village of Kamianka. In March 2017, he was arrested again over a social media post.

On March 27, 2019, occupational security forces conducted one of the most extensive mass searches in Crimean Tatar homes, detaining 20 individuals, including Remzi Bekirov. Three more individuals were arrested the following day, and two others were detained later.
On March 10, 2022, a court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Remzi Bekirov to 19 years in a maximum-security colony, with the first five years to be served in prison.

“We knew they would eventually come for us,” says Remzi’s wife, Khalide Bekirova. “We went to bed fully dressed. I wore a long dress and sometimes even a headscarf. We prepared the children for the possibility that armed men might break into our home at any time. It is unavoidable if you are active and take a firm civic stance. They come even for those who are not active. Everyone is at risk.”

Why was Remzi Bekirov actually detained?

Remzi Bekirov, like many other Crimean Tatar activists, became a target of ethnic and religious persecution by the occupation administration due to his civic activism.

A prominent citizen journalist and activist with the “Crimean Solidarity” movement, Remzi documented repressions conducted by Russians in occupied Crimea, attended illegitimate “court” sessions, live streamed proceedings, and recorded arrests and harassment. He also spearheaded initiatives to support families of political prisoners, providing assistance and organizing construction projects to improve living conditions.

Where is Remzi Bekirov now?

In March 2022, Remzi Bekirov was transferred from a pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don to Prison No. 2 in Yeniseisk, Krasnoyarsk Region, where he spent two years.

On March 28, 2023, the appellate court in Vlasikha, Moscow Region, rejected his appeal.

In July 2024, Bekirov was unlawfully relocated once again, arriving at Detention Center No. 1 in Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, Russia, in early August.

By mid-August 2024, he was transferred to Penal Colony No. 33, also in Abakan, approximately 5,000 kilometers from Crimea.

Upon arrival, he was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement for absurd reasons such as not wearing a head covering or praying in an “inappropriate location.” Over six months, he was placed in solitary confinement seven times. In December, it was reported that Bekirov was moved to stricter detention conditions.
Since his imprisonment, Bekirov has lost 15 kilograms.