Today, 30 April, Crimean Tatar Uzeir Abdullaiev turns 52. It is his tenth birthday behind bars — in a Russian maximum-security penal colony, far from home, his family, and Crimea.

Uzeir was born in 1974 in Baku to a family with Crimean Tatar and Azerbaijani roots. His childhood was diverse: he studied at an art school and played musical instruments, but ultimately chose a different path — sports. After studying at a military academy, he seriously took up martial arts: karate, judo, and taekwondo. He later became a master of sports and a champion of Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Europe.

In the mid-1990s, he moved to Crimea, settling in the village of Strohanivka near Simferopol. There he obtained a law degree but did not work in his profession — for over twenty years, he coached athletes. His students included not only civilians but also members of the security forces. Paradoxically, some of them later ended up on the other side — among those who participated in his detention and convoying.

Together with his wife Fera, Uzeir raised four children. He was also involved in community life: he did not stand by when searches were conducted at the homes of Crimean Tatars, arriving to support families who found themselves under pressure from the Russian occupation authorities. For him, this was a matter of solidarity and responsibility.

On 12 October 2016, Russian security forces came to his home with searches. Uzeir was detained along with his brother Teimur. They were accused of involvement in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir” organisation, which is recognised as “terrorist” in Russia.

In 2019, a Russian “court” in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Uzeir to 12.5 years in a maximum-security penal colony, and his brother to 17 years. Later, the term was slightly reduced. In fact, the grounds for his persecution were his religious affiliation and civic stance.

This case is indicative from an international law perspective. Russia, as an occupying power, has no right to apply its own criminal legislation on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. Despite this, residents of Crimea are judged according to Russian laws, particularly in cases related to “Hizb ut-Tahrir”. Human rights defenders emphasise that such persecutions are systemic and aimed primarily at Muslims, in particular Crimean Tatars.

Today, Uzeir Abdullaiev is serving his sentence more than 1,500 kilometres from home — in a penal colony in Bashkortostan. His health is deteriorating: he has heart problems, constant swelling, and pain due to cold and damp cells. Despite this, he remains one of hundreds of Ukrainian citizens held by Russia on political and religious grounds.

His story is not just about one person. It is about how repressions became an instrument of control in temporarily occupied Crimea, and the price that entire families pay for it. And this year, like the previous nine, Uzeir is not spending his birthday at home.