Seyran Saliev is a Crimean Tatar civic journalist and activist of Crimean Solidarity. Following the beginning of Russia’s occupation of Crimea, he systematically documented searches, attended unlawful court hearings, supported the families of detainees, and reported on repressions in the media space.

Today, Seyran could have been celebrating his birthday with his wife and children in his home. Instead, he remains behind bars — imprisoned by Russia for his civic activity and his steadfast position in defending the rights of Crimean Tatars on the occupied peninsula.

On 12 May 2016, in Bakhchysarai, Seyran alerted the local community to mass searches using a loudspeaker from a mosque minaret — for this, he was fined 20,000 rubles. In January 2017, Saliev and lawyer Emil Kurbedinov were arrested for 12 and 10 days, respectively. Later that year, Russian security forces raided his home again and detained Seyran on charges of “terrorism.” In reality, the reason for his persecution was his public human rights advocacy, vocal support for his compatriots, and efforts to expose the truth about the occupation.

On 16 September 2020, a court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 16 years’ imprisonment, which was later reduced to 15 years on appeal on 14 March 2022. Since September 2022, Seyran has been serving his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 4 in Plavsk, Tula region, Russia.

Seyran Saliev is a father of four and a man of strong civic principles. His first long-term visit with his family took place only after five years of imprisonment.

“Our goal is to defend human rights. I want my Crimean Tatar people to live happily on their native land, freely practicing their religion and traditions. I want my people to be left in peace. We are a people who love justice, and when we see injustice, we stand against it. But we will never become slaves to lies and injustice,” — wrote Seyran Saliev in a letter from prison.

Seyran remains a symbol of resilience and civic dignity for the Crimean Tatar people. His prolonged imprisonment is both a personal tragedy for his family and part of Russia’s broader policy of persecution in Crimea and other occupied territories.
We continue to fight for his release — and for the freedom of all illegally detained Ukrainians.