Life before the detention

Dilyaver Alimovych Gafarov was born on 14 October 1996 in the village of Taman, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. When he was just one month old, the Gafarov family returned to Crimea, settling in the village of Zhemchuzhyna in the Kirovskyi district, where Dilyaver grew up and received his education. After graduating in 2014, he entered the College of Service and Design in Simferopol, where he trained as a hairdresser. He worked in his profession in his home village and later moved to Kyiv to continue his education and professional development.

In 2017, Dilyaver married his wife, Dilyara, and the couple lived in Kyiv for some time. During that period, he worked as a sales consultant in a store. In early 2018, the couple decided to return to Crimea. In his free time, Dilyaver enjoyed sports and repairing cars. Also, he helped his parents and friends with everyday tasks.

Persecution

On 30 October 2018, Russian occupation forces carried out an illegal search of Dilyaver Gafarov’s home in Zhemchuzhyna village, after which he was detained. He was accused of “participation in an armed formation.” According to the occupation authorities, Dilyaver allegedly took part in the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2016–2018 as a member of the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion. In court, he denied the charges. As in many other politically motivated cases, no evidence of guilt was presented. Dilyaver’s arrest became part of the systematic persecution of Crimean Tatars aimed at suppressing civic activism and intimidating the community.

Behind the bars

On 28 August 2019, the so-called occupation “court” sentenced Dilyaver Gafarov to ten years in a high-security penal colony. In October of the same year, the occupation authorities denied his appeal, and since then, he has been held in Penal Colony No. 1 in Kochubeyevskoye, Stavropol Krai, Russia.

Dilyaver continues to observe the Muslim fast during the holy month of Ramadan, yet the occupation authorities have systematically interfered with his right to practice his faith. In 2023, he was punished for observing religious practices and placed in a punishment cell, where he was deprived of the ability to fast properly. There, he was denied food and rest outside the times set by the administration.

Despite the unjust conviction, pressure, and separation from his family, Dilyaver Gafarov remains strong and dignified. His story is yet another testament to the resilience of the Crimean Tatar people, who continue their struggle for truth, freedom, and dignity.