Doctor and member of the Crimean Tatar national movement Dzhemilev dies in Kyiv

A well-known oncologist and member of the Crimean Tatar national movement Suleiman Dzhemilev has died in Kyiv. He was born in exile in a family of deported Crimean Tatars and devoted his life to medicine.

This was reported by the press service of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

According to the Mejlis, Suleyman Dzhemilev passed away on January 30, 2026 after a long and serious illness. He was 68 years old. The press service noted that he was a man of high moral principles and remained devoted to his people all his life.

The doctor was born in 1957 in the Urals, in places of exile, in a family of deported Crimean Tatars. He received his medical education at the Tashkent Medical Institute, where he graduated with a degree in general medicine.

After returning to Crimea with his family in 1992, he worked as a leading doctor at the Crimean Oncology Dispensary. He worked there until 2015. In 2015-2025, Dzhemilev worked as an oncologist at the National Cancer Institute in Kyiv.

The Mejlis also reminded that together with his wife Ayshe Suleyman , the doctor raised his daughter Zekiye and son Rustem. His son is now serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and participates in the defense of the territorial integrity of the state, in particular in the struggle for the liberation of Crimea.

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people expressed sincere condolences to the family, friends and associates of the deceased doctor. The funeral of Dzhemilev will be held on January 31, 2026 at 12:00 in the mosque of the Crimean Tatar Cultural Center "Birlik", located in the village of Chaiky.

Last year, on November 11, a well-known activist of the Crimean Tatar national movement and head of the regional Mejlis, <b>Deyna Smail</b>, passed away in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. He was 67 years old. Smail was the head of the Seitler Regional Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars for a long time, was an active organizer and participant in the famous 1999 'Walking March'.

Анна Бальчінос