"In Crimea, they go to bed dressed, waiting for the FSB" Russia is persecuting dozens of women from Crimea - human rights defender

The FSB detention and arrest of Crimean women Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva and Fevzia Osmanova on suspicion of organizing and participating in a terrorist organization has caused a stir in Crimean society. Activists and human rights defenders are demanding their immediate release from Russia. They are convinced: women on the peninsula have become a "new group" that is being "deliberately persecuted." What is happening, writes Krym.Realii.
Mother of several children Esma Nimetulaeva, teacher of the village kindergarten group Nasiba Saidova, student of the Crimean Federal University Vernadsky Elviza Alieva and daughter of an imam Fevzia Osmanova were detained by the FSB on October 15.
Russian security forces called them members of a conspiracy "a female cell of an international terrorist organization banned in Russia, which spreads the ideology of a world caliphate." The Crimean women were charged under Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of a terrorist organization and participation in its activities), which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Previously, only men were charged under this article of the Criminal Code of Russia in Crimea. These Crimean women were detained for this reason for the first time since 2014. This caused a stir in Crimean society.
"The child was taken away in handcuffs, like a criminal"
The Kiev district court under the control of the Russian Federation remanded the detained Crimean women in custody for two months. The hearings were held behind closed doors. Even the relatives of the detainees were not allowed to visit them.
On the same day, dozens of Crimean Tatars came to the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea (DUMK) in Simferopol with a demand to react and "fulfill their Muslim duty to protect the honor of Muslims."

“These are our girls, our women, our honor, that’s why we came to talk to the mufti, and he himself took some measures to free them,” Seit-Osman Karaliev, a public defender from Sudak, told Crimean Solidarity.
The DUMK told the crowd that the mufti was on vacation. Therefore, his deputy, Raim Gafarov, met with the activists, Crimean Solidarity reported.
Around 70 people also gathered in front of the building of the Russian government of Crimea to protest the arrest of Esma Nimetulayeva, Elviza Aliyeva, Nasiba Saidova, and Fevzia Osmanova.
“If you want to express your protest, ask, is studying Islam terrorism? In fact, there is no concession, there is no evidence that this woman (Esma Nemetulaeva) is a terrorist. We all study our religion. If you shared (knowledge) with someone, does that mean terrorism? Men were taken away. What, it’s women’s turn in this strong, powerful state?”, the mother of the arrested Esma Nemetulaeva, Khatiya Nemetulaeva, told Crimean Solidarity.
“What did my child do - an 18-year-old girl, to be taken away in handcuffs as a criminal?” - asked Nasiba’s father, Sadik Urinbaev.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government of Crimea, Albert Kushhutov, met with activists. He stated that he “cannot answer for law enforcement agencies,” according to a message from Crimean Solidarity.
"The manifestation of discontent the next day after the arrest of a woman with many children and girls (in fact, still children) is a signal that the people clearly understood what had happened: under the guise of fighting terrorism, an attack is being made on the most tender and sensitive place of the people (of any people): mothers, wives, sisters, children are under the gun. Demanding that those responsible give an explanation for the detention of these women is a natural reaction that stems from the tradition of Islam, which the Crimean Tatars have practiced for centuries: believing men and women are protectors of each other," notes Crimean Tatar human rights activist Mumine Salieva in her blog.
In many regions of Crimea these days, Crimean Tatars are gathering for collective prayers in support of their arrested compatriots.
"Next time, who will you come for? For the children?"

Ukrainian human rights organizations claim that the addresses of defendants Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva, and Fevzia Osmanova are suspicious.
"There is no need to prove that all the Crimean Tatar girls and women detained after the October 15 raid had nothing to do with what they were accused of. Any rational person understands that Esme Nimetulaeva, a mother of five children, or 18-year-old Nasiba Saidova, a kindergarten teacher, Elviza Aliyeva, an excellent student, or Fevzia Osmanova (who runs the family business), aged 20-21, were clearly not interested in terrorist acts, cells or the promotion of banned literature. For 12 years, the occupiers have been trying to turn Crimean Tatar men, and now also women (daughters, wives, mothers) – into suicide terrorists dangerous to society, to form an image of terrorists and saboteurs in society. Who will you come for next time? For Crimean Tatar children?" says Eskender Bariev, head of the board of directors of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.
Using force and repression, the FSB in Crimea is trying to "intimidate, discredit and facilitate the hybrid deportation of Crimean Tatars from their historical land," Bariev assured.
In the context of what is happening, many of Eskender Bariev's acquaintances in Crimea, according to him, go to bed fully clothed, knowing that FSB officers may come to search them in search of "spies", "saboteurs", "extremists" or "terrorists".
The Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the ARC condemned the Russian persecution of Crimean Tatar women, calling it "a continuation of the systemic policy of intimidation and oppression of any dissenters".

A coalition of 15 Ukrainian human rights organizations that have spoken out against the persecution of these women has announced that Russia is persecuting more than 40 women in Crimea for political reasons.
According to their data, the persecution of women in the Crimean peninsula has increased significantly during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. If by 2022 there were up to five women on the Ukrainian lists of political prisoners, then in the almost four years of the war in Crimea there were more than 40 women who were deprived of their freedom for political reasons, human rights activists claim.
In many cases, such detentions take place in secret.
"In such cases, the occupation courts ignore the fact that women with minor children, who have elderly parents to support, or who are seriously ill are being persecuted. Also, the sentences have been significantly toughened. Before 2022, Ukrainian volunteer Halina Dovgopola was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, in 2024-2025, the occupation authorities toughened the sentences against women. Ukrainian philologist Oksana Senedzhuk was sentenced to 15 years in a penal colony, Nina Tymoshenko to 16 years, and Nadezhda Grekova to 22 years in a penal colony. The actions of the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea testify to the fact that women on the peninsula have become a new group of Ukrainian citizens who are being deliberately persecuted," the coalition of human rights organizations said in a statement.
They called the persecution of Crimean women Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva and Fevzia Osmanova politically motivated and demanded their "immediate release" by the Russian authorities along with all "citizens deprived of their liberty for political reasons".
Human rights activists called on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure an effective investigation into the circumstances of the "unlawful deprivation of liberty and the right to a fair trial" of Esma Nimetulaeva, Nasiba Saidova, Elviza Alieva and Fevzia Osmanova and to impose personal sanctions against those involved.
Human rights activists are calling on representatives of the international community to facilitate the release of the arrested women from Crimea, to increase diplomatic and sanctions pressure on Russia, to hold international consultations to find mechanisms for the release of illegally arrested persons and to monitor their health on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as to facilitate the investigation of Russian war criminals in Ukraine.
There is currently no public response from any of the parties to this appeal.
Russian authorities deny political repression in Crimea.