“Hostages of the Occupation”: Fatma Ismailova, wife of the political prisoner Rustem Ismailov, daughter of the political prisoner Enver Omerov, and sister of the political prisoner Riza Omerov

The next hero of the “Hostages of the Occupation” project is Fatma Ismailova. The Russian occupation of Crimea turned into a real tragedy for her family. Fatma’s husband, father and brother were arrested on trumped-up terrorism charges. A burden of problems fell on her fragile female shoulders. Fatma’s three children and her brother’s four children miss their fathers very much, wake up and fall asleep thinking of them. Families are waiting and dreaming of the day when all political prisoners will return back home.

Her husband, Rustem Ismailov, an economist and retrained as a builder, was detained after a search in his house three years ago and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Children still cannot forget the fear they experienced during the search. In June 2019, the security forces took also her father and brother. They did not kill anyone, did not betray or deceive. They just wanted to live on their historical land according to the canons of Islam, build their own house, raise their children, and enjoy their successes.

But seven children, three of Fatma and four of her brother Riza, were left without fathers and a grandfather. Fatma, her mother Amina, and her sister-inlaw Sevilya were left without men in the house. All the talks in these deserted “ They did not kill anyone, did not betray or deceive. They just wanted to live on their historical land… „ houses are about them. Fatma’s eldest daughter, a ten-year-old Khatidzhe, a clever pupil, pleases her mother with her successes at school, helps to look after her brothers Fatih and Khalid. Children miss their father very much, wake up and fall asleep thinking of him.

Their fragile female shoulders did not expect such an ordeal, but neither Fatma Ismailova, nor her mother, Amina Omerova, allowed the thought of leaving Crimea. They dream of the day when all prisoners will return home and they will arrange a grand bayram, a holiday to which everyone will be invited without exception: friends, neighbors who help and support them in every way, even those who do not understand and condemn them.

Project manager: Zarema Bariieva
Author of pictures: Lieniara Abibulaieva
Text writer: Alemkhan Sary
Translation into English: Zarema Bariieva

We remind that on February 26 in Kyiv, the presentation of the album and the exhibition “Hostages of the Occupation” took place, which tell us about the fate of 20 Crimean Tatar families after the annexation of the peninsula. On March 10, the exhibition opened in Vinnytsia. The exhibition is expected to be presented in Lviv and Dnipro as well.

The project was prepared by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center with the support of the Democracy Grants Program of the US Embassy to Ukraine.