Lenur Khalilov, a 58-year-old Crimean Tatar sentenced by a Russian court to 18 years in prison, is in critical condition at the Arkhangelsk Region Federal Penitentiary Service hospital. He suffers from metastatic liver cancer, Hepatitis C, hypertension, and other ailments. This information was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and the Memorial Human Rights Center.
According to human rights defenders, Khalilov is unable to move on his own and is in constant, severe pain. He has been prescribed Tramadol to manage the pain.
On September 15, Khalilov’s lawyer filed a request to transfer him from the prison hospital to a specialized facility with security restrictions. Such a transfer would allow him to be closer to his family and loved ones.
Khalilov headed the independent Muslim community "Alushta." On June 10, 2019, Russian security forces conducted raids in settlements near Alushta and detained Khalilov, acting imam Ruslan Nagayev, entrepreneur Eldar Kantimirov, and Ruslan Mesutov, one of the religious community's founders. All four were accused of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization banned in Russia.
According to the prosecution, Khalilov organized the cell. Evidence cited in the case included, among other things, gatherings of believers, discussions of religious topics, and the reading of Islamic literature. On August 16, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Khalilov and Mesutov to 18 years in a penal colony, Nagaev to 13 years, and Kantimirov to 12 years. Khalilov was charged with organizing the activities of a "terrorist organization" and preparing for the violent seizure of power.
In August 2025, the Crimean Tatar man was released from further service of his sentence due to his health condition. The court concluded that, owing to severe illnesses, he could not remain in the penal colony. After his release, the man returned to Crimea.
The prosecutor's office soon appealed this decision. According to lawyer Emil Kurbedinov, one of the prosecution's arguments was that Khalilov was allegedly an "especially dangerous criminal." Citing Russian law, the prosecutor stated that the mere presence of a severe illness was not grounds for release if the necessary treatment could be administered within the penal colony.
In October 2025, a Russian court ordered that Khalilov be taken back into custody. The defense appealed this decision via the cassation procedure, but the court upheld the ruling.
In early November, security forces took Khalilov from his home. His transfer to Arkhangelsk took about a month and a half. In late December, he arrived back at Penal Colony No. 1 (IK-1), where, according to his wife, he was not provided with the necessary medication. Khalilov complained of severe liver pain and weakness, yet the only painkiller he was given was Analgin.
In May 2026, "Crimean Solidarity" reported that Khalilov had been in the hospital of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) for the Arkhangelsk Region for two months.
