Saliev Seyran

Born on November 4, 1985, Seyran Saliev is a Crimean Tatar, civic journalist, activist of the Crimena Solidarity. He majored in Turkish and Crimean Tatar philology. Seyran Saliev has a wife and 4 children.

Before his imprisonment, he organized Muslim festivities, raised funds for severely ill children and low-income families. In summer, he also worked as a guide in Bakhchysarai, told local kids about the city and taught them Arabic language. He wrestled and judged matches in Crimean Tatar national wrestling Kuresh. Saliev also attended court hearings in his fellow citizens’ cases, spoke in the mosque about arrests and called upon support for Crimean Tatars.

Numerous searches were conducted at Saliev’s home. He is imprisoned under the article 205.5, chapter 2 of the Russian Federation’s Criminal Code ("Providing the activity of an organization recognized as terroristic in the accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation") and sentenced to 15 years in a penal colony. He is held in the colony №4 in the city of Plavsk, Tula Oblast, Russian Federation.

"We are only guilty for speaking so much about the Russian invasion of Crimea, about the slander on our people. For not staying home when we witnessed injustice," Seyran Saliev, 30 October 2021.