Today, we are telling the story of the Crimean Tatar activist Azamat Eiupov, who was illegally sentenced by Russia to 17 years in a maximum security prison.

Life before the detention

Azamat Eiupov was born on February 12, 1963, in the city of Shakhrikhan, Uzbekistan, where his family had been forcibly deported by the Soviet totalitarian regime in 1944.

In 1981, Azamat graduated from high school, and in 1988, his family fulfilled their dream of returning to their ancestral homeland in Crimea. Settling in Bakhchysarai, Azamat worked as a builder.

What did the occupiers come up with?

On February 17, 2021, law enforcement officers of the occupation administration carried out mass searches in Bilohirsk, Bakhchysarai, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and other settlements in the Feodosiia district of Crimea. Alongside Azamat Eiupov, Timur Yalkabov, Yashar Shykhametov, Ernest Ibrahimov, and Oleh Fedorov were also arrested that day.

On July 19, 2022, a court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, sentenced the 59-year-old Azamat Eiupov to 17 years in a strict regime colony.

Why was Azamat Eiupov actually detained?

Azamat Eiupov had been an active participant in public life since his youth. In the 1980s, he participated in protests on Red Square in Moscow, opposing the repressive policies of the Soviet government. His activism continued over the years, and in 2019, he again protested on Red Square, holding a poster demanding an end to repressions against Crimean Tatars, stating: “Our children are not terrorists. Stop repressions against Crimean Tatars.”

Azamat actively supported Crimean Tatars who were illegally prosecuted by the occupation administration in Crimea. He regularly attended court sessions and participated in pickets in their support.

Eiupov’s arrest became part of a systematic campaign of persecution based on religious beliefs, ethnic identity, and dissent against the policies of the occupying state.

Where is Azamat Eiupov now?

On May 24, 2023, a court in Vlasiha, Moscow region, Russia, rejected Azamat Eiupov’s appeal.

In September of the same year, Azamat Eiupov was unlawfully transferred from Crimea to Verkhneuralsk, Chelyabinsk region, over 2,500 kilometers from his home peninsula.

While detained in Simferopol’s pre-trial detention center, Azamat Eiupov suffered four ischemic strokes. The lack of proper medical care left him unable to move without assistance. His health continues to deteriorate rapidly due to numerous other conditions caused by his imprisonment. Specifically, Azamat’s right leg has almost lost functionality, making it extremely difficult for him to walk. 

Despite his critical condition, a prison paramedic diagnosed him with osteochondrosis and returned him to his cell, providing only minimal treatment.