Abdurakhmanov Ruslan Yusupovich

In the annexed Crimea, in April 2022 at the latest, 31-year-old local resident, Crimean Tatar, citizen of Ukraine with forced Russian citizenship Ruslan Abdurakhmanov was detained. He was charged with participating on the territory of a foreign state in an armed formation not provided for by the legislation of that state, for purposes contrary to the interests of Russia. According to the investigation, in February 2016, Abdurakhmanov voluntarily joined the Noman Celebidzhan battalion on the territory of the Kherson region, led by Lenur Islyamov. Abdurakhmanov shared the goals of the organization, which included the blockade of the peninsula from the Ukrainian border. He was part of the commander's personal guard, guarded battalion facilities, prepared firewood, and inspected transport at the border between Russia and Ukraine. The man is alleged to have committed the crime out of political hostility towards the Russian Federation due to the inclusion of Crimea into its composition. During the investigation, the defendant was taken into custody. On August 9, 2022, the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol found Ruslan Abdurakhmanov guilty and sentenced him to 5 years of imprisonment, with the first year to be served in prison and the remainder in a maximum-security colony. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.