The final statement
‘We were sentenced to 13 to 19 years for alleged terrorist activity. In this country, people get less time for actual murder.’
I, Seyran Alimovich Saliev, was born on November 4, 1985, in the town of Abinsk, Krasnodar Krai.
Why was I born in Abinsk? Because my Crimean Tatar people were not allowed to return to Crimea. Our native land was off-limits. The reason? We were declared ‘traitors’ and deported by a criminal regime. Later, we were officially rehabilitated—they admitted a mistake, it seems. But forgive me—this wasn’t a simple error in a word or a slip of the tongue. This deadly ‘mistake’ by the Soviet Union cost the lives of hundreds and thousands of elderly people, young adults, and innocent children. Many died en route, denied even the dignity of burial, as they were loaded like cattle into freight cars and left to perish during the journey. The train didn’t stop for the dead. The narrative was: ‘Well, they died—tough luck. We won’t stop the train for that.’ And we were blamed: ‘You shouldn’t have betrayed us!’ Betrayed what? As it turned out, they were wrong.
Today, I see history repeating itself. We are witnessing deliberate efforts to erase our national and religious identity. What labels haven’t been thrown at the Crimean Tatar people? Bandits. Traitors. Extremists. Separatists. And now—terrorists. All these labels have always come from one center: Moscow. First it was the center of the Muscovite Tsardom, then the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation.
Our people have seen all these political evolutions, but they’ve brought nothing good—only forced displacement, violence, murder, looting, destruction of homes, deportation, and finally, occupation. The core goal has remained the same: to destroy our identity. The only difference is the method.
Today I see what I call a ‘neo-deportation’ or hybrid deportation. In the age of information and global scrutiny, Russia can’t openly deport an entire people like the Soviets did, so it uses subtler methods—pushing people out through pressure, persecution, imprisonment on false charges, disappearances, deaths. Even women are now targeted—husbands imprisoned, children growing up fatherless, the elderly left to die without their sons. In short, history is repeating itself.
This injustice became crystal clear after March 18, 2014, when the so-called ‘referendum’ in Crimea was held at gunpoint under Russian military control. Since then, our people have been labeled extremists and terrorists. But who is Russia trying to convince with these lies? Us? The rest of the Muslim world? The international community? The truth is obvious: Russia’s lies know no bounds.
Our religion teaches that when truth comes, falsehood vanishes.
The absurdity of the criminal case against us is undeniable. Anonymous witnesses, falsified expert reports, fabricated protocols—it’s all been exposed. The perpetrators will face justice. This is the law of truth—no crime goes unpunished. Almighty Allah has promised retribution for tyrants and their accomplices—even in this world. History offers countless examples.
Right now, we are being unjustly and unlawfully sentenced. Frankly, the words ‘justice’ and ‘human rights’ have no place in Russian courts—they should be removed from Russian dictionaries altogether. How else to explain that we are given 13 to 19 years for imaginary terrorism, while actual murderers often get less? And this—with no evidence: no victims, no substantial proof, no real witnesses. Nothing! Just one flimsy ruling by the Russian Supreme Court that banned Hizb ut-Tahrir—a decision criticized by both Russian legal experts and international organizations. Based on that one ruling, the eight of us face over 125 years in prison.
Meanwhile, streets across Russia are named after real terrorists like Zhelyabov, Perovskaya, and Khalturin. Monuments are erected to those who committed acts of terror against entire peoples. Historical records show that the Soviet government granted lifetime pensions to perpetrators of terrorist acts. These names are honored, walked over daily by thousands of people. And no one bats an eye. It seems that if terrorism serves Russia’s interests, it’s acceptable—the end justifies the means.
The hypocrisy of the current situation is blatant. This isn’t just about prosecuting eight individuals—it’s about the continuation of the persecution that began in 2014. We’ve been labeled extremists, terrorists… What next? Will we be called cannibals or one-eyed monsters like under Stalin?
I demand the immediate dismissal of the criminal case, the annulment of our sentences, and our release from custody. God is with us. Truth is with us. Our people—the Crimean Tatars—stand with us. And the international community stands in solidarity with us.
‘Our Lord! Grant us what You promised through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Truly, You never break Your promise.’
And the Lord replied: ‘I will not let the deeds of any among you go to waste—whether man or woman. Those who migrated, were expelled from their homes, suffered harm for My cause—I will surely forgive their sins and admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow.’
Let not the freedom of disbelievers on earth deceive you. It is only a fleeting enjoyment—their abode is Hell. And what a terrible resting place it is.’ (Qur’an 3:194–197). Do not repeat the bloody mistakes of the past.
I’ll end with this thought—a crucial one in our nonviolent struggle:
I am immensely grateful to my beloved, fearless Crimean Tatar people, to the Ukrainian people, to their politicians, human rights defenders, international platforms, activists, and journalists for standing up for truth and spreading awareness. Special thanks to my mentor Galina Ackerman, and to our ambassador Iryna Tsilyk—thank you so much! And of course, to all concerned activists in Russia, as well as the lawyers and attorneys who have stood by us since our detention.
A heartfelt thanks to my family, to my brave and dear mother, and to my wife, my partner in life and spirit—you give me strength for this long and honorable struggle for justice.
Truth is on our side.
Military Court of Appeals, Vlasikha, Moscow Region, Russia
13 March 2022
Source: Crimean Solidarity
More about the political prisoner
Photo: Crimean Solidarity