Detention: According to eyewitnesses on October 2, 2025, unknown individuals took the man from his apartment, escorted him to his garage, and then transported him to an unknown location.

Sentence: As of July 17, 2026, no sentence has been issued. Marat Baturov is unlawfully held in a pre-trial detention centre. The Russian side has not officially provided complete information on the charges. Human rights defenders consider his persecution politically motivated and classify the case as enforced disappearance followed by unlawful detention.

Marat Ismailovich Baturov was born on January 30, 1962. He lived in the village of Krasnokamenka (Kyziltash), Feodosia district, Crimea. He dedicated most of his life to military service. He was a marine and retired at around the age of 45. After his military career, he returned to civilian life and lived with his family.

According to relatives, after retirement, Marat led a quiet life. He was not a public political figure or civil activist. Family and acquaintances describe him as a balanced, responsible person who devoted much attention to his family and household.

On October 2, 2025, he disappeared without a trace. Eyewitnesses reported that unknown individuals came to his apartment, took him outside, escorted him to the garage, and then forcibly transported him to an unknown location. After this, all contact with him was lost. The family received no information about his whereabouts for a long time. Russian occupation authorities refused to confirm the detention. Human rights defenders immediately stated it was a case of enforced disappearance of a civilian.

In the following months, the family tried independently to determine Marat Baturov's whereabouts. Relatives contacted occupation law enforcement agencies, sent numerous inquiries to places of detention, and reported his disappearance to Ukrainian human rights organizations. However, they received no official response. Due to the complete lack of information, human rights defenders categorized his case as an enforced disappearance.

Only in the spring of 2026 did the Crimean Tatar Resource Center report, based on reliable sources, that Marat Baturov might be held in a pre-trial detention centre. It later became known that he was in Detention Centre No. 2 in Simferopol. This confirmed that after his abduction, he was unlawfully deprived of liberty.

In May 2026, the detention centre administration, without proper justification, sent Marat Baturov for a psychiatric evaluation. He was there for almost a month before being returned to the detention centre. Human rights defenders emphasize that forced psychiatric examinations in politically motivated cases are a method of pressure on unlawfully detained Ukrainian citizens and violate international standards for the treatment of detainees.

After returning from the psychiatric facility, relatives reported new violations of his rights. Some food parcels, hygiene products, and personal items were not delivered to the detainee. Additionally, funds transferred by the family to his personal account remained inaccessible for a long time, depriving him of the ability to purchase food and essential items in the detention centre.

As of July 2026, Marat Baturov continues to be unlawfully detained. Information on the completion of the pre-trial investigation or transfer of the case to court is not available in open sources. Ukrainian human rights organizations and the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea call on the international community to demand an end to enforced disappearances, ensure access for independent lawyers to unlawfully detained Ukrainian citizens, and seek the prompt release of Marat Baturov.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne Crimea, ZMINA, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Crimean Human Rights House.

Photo: ZMINA.

Last updated: 17.07.2026.