Detention: In February 2025, he was detained by Russian security forces and placed in a pre-trial detention centre in Chongar. Russian investigators accused him of alleged participation in the 'Noman Çelebicihan Battalion', which is recognized as an illegal formation in Russia. Relatives were unable to see Bekir or obtain reliable information about his detention conditions for a long time.

Sentence: On October 9, 2025, an occupation court in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region found Bekir Gugurik guilty on fabricated charges related to the so-called 'Noman Çelebicihan Battalion' and sentenced him to 4 years in prison. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center and several Ukrainian human rights organizations called this decision politically motivated and emphasized that the case is a continuation of a systemic campaign of persecution against Crimean Tatars and residents of occupied territories of Ukraine.

Bekir Seitumerovich Gugurik, born on September 13, 1962, is a Crimean Tatar, a citizen of Ukraine, and a resident of Henichesk, Kherson region. Before the full-scale war, he lived with his family and was engaged in farming.

In 2016, along with his brother Rustem Gugurik, the Russian authorities banned him from entering occupied Crimea, accusing him of ties with the public formation 'Noman Çelebicihan Battalion'. After the occupation of parts of Kherson region, Bekir remained in Henichesk.

Bekir Gugurik is the elder brother of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Rustem Gugurik, who was illegally sentenced by Russian occupiers in 2022 to 8.5 years in a strict regime colony on similar charges of involvement with the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion. Human rights advocates note that the persecution of the two brothers demonstrates the systematic nature of repressions against Crimean Tatars who openly maintained a Ukrainian civic stance or supported ties with mainland Ukraine.

According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, after Bekir's detention, his home in occupied Kherson was effectively taken over by representatives of Russian occupation structures. The family was deprived of the ability to use their property, and Bekir himself was kept in complete isolation without access to relatives or independent defense for a long time.

During the trial, the Russian side claimed that Bekir Gugurik allegedly participated in the activities of the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion, which is recognized as an illegal armed formation in Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian human rights defenders emphasize that in most such cases, accusations are based not on evidence of participation in combat but on testimonies of individuals under investigation control, photographs, social media posts, or support for the civic blockade of Crimea. Therefore, such criminal proceedings are considered politically motivated.

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the ZMINA Human Rights Center, the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR), and other human rights organizations emphasize that the persecution of Bekir Gugurik is part of a broader campaign of repressions against Crimean Tatars and residents of occupied territories of Ukraine. Particular concern is raised by the fact that after his detention, representatives of the occupation administration effectively took over his home, and the family lost the ability to freely use their property.

Bekir Gugurik's case is also linked to the persecution of his brother Rustem Gugurik, who was previously illegally sentenced by Russia on similar charges. Human rights defenders consider this another indication of systemic pressure on Crimean Tatar families who maintain Ukrainian identity or support ties with mainland Ukraine.

As of July 9, 2026, Bekir Gugurik continues to be unlawfully held in detention facilities controlled by the Russian Federation. Ukrainian human rights organizations continue to document his case and call on the international community to demand the release of all unlawfully imprisoned Ukrainian citizens.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Center for Investigative Journalism, Suspilne Crimea, ZMINA Human Rights Center, Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR).

Photo: Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Date of update: 09.07.2026