Rustem Scheykhaliyev, a citizen journalist and a CRIMEAN SOLIDARITY activist, was detained 5 years and sentenced to 14 years in confinement. On March 27, 2019, Rustem was detained after the search and has been kept behind bars since.
The CHRG human rights defenders have recorded 19 persons involved in the case of Rustem Sheykhaliyev. These data may be found in the CRIMEAN CASES base, a CHRG online resource, where some data on Ukrainian citizens being kept in the places of unfreedom under fake criminal “Crimean Cases’ that are politically motivated. This resource makes it possible to see the names of occupation judges, prosecutors, RF FSB men accessory to the persecution of a specific man.
It is noted in the persecution chronology collected by the analysts that Rustem Sheykhaliyev became a citizen journalist by publicizing “trial” sessions of the Crimean political prisoners.
On March 27, 2019, Russian security men searched the homes of Crimean Tatar activists in Crimea, following with detention of 24 activists accused of affiliation with Hizb-ut-Tahrir organization (including Rustem Sheykhaliyev).
On March 28, 2019, the “Kievskiy District Court” arrested the activist.
In January 2020, Mr. Sheykhaliyev was sent to the Simferopol mental health facility for a compulsory psychiatric examination.
Staying in detention, Rustem Sheykhaliyev repeatedly complained about his health condition and made statements asking for a health screening and check-up. All his statements were ignored.
On December 30, 2020, the Southern Area Military Court of the Russian Federation decided on transporting the activist from Simferopol to Rostov-na-Donu.
On October 26, 2022, according to the CRIMEAN SOLIDARITY data, a debate took place: the defence team stated that only 4 secret witnesses spoke about the guilt of the defendants during the trial, and their words could not be verified; the prosecutor was unable to refute the arguments of the defence; the inaccuracy of the phonoscopic examination was also revealed.
On November 24, 2022, the Southern Area Military Court in Rostov-na-Donu (judges Viacheslav Korsakov, Denis Galkin, and Igor Shendrikov) sentenced Rustem Sheykhaliyev to 14 years in the penal colony (including 4 to be served in the prison) under RF CC Article 205.5-2 (“Participation in actions of the terrorist organization”), and RF CC Articles 30-1 and 278 (“Preparation to violent upheaval”).
In January 2024, the Russian prison medical staff refused sending the citizen journalist into a hospital despite a heavy nose bleeding he had suffered during the court session.
For more information on the chronology of persecuting Rustem Sheykhaliyev – visit CRIMEAN CASES resource.
