Detention: In August 2023, Russian security forces detained Oleksandr Osadchyi. For almost a year, his family did not know his whereabouts.

Sentence: As of July 21, 2026, there is no final verdict in open verified sources. According to family and human rights defenders, the Russian occupation authorities have charged Oleksandr Osadchyi under three articles of the Russian Federation Criminal Code, including 'state treason' and 'espionage.' He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Human rights organizations consider the prosecution politically motivated, linked to Oleksandr's pro-Ukrainian stance.

Oleksandr Osadchyi was born in 1962 in the Kirovohrad region. After graduating from Odessa University, he moved to Crimea, living in Feodosia for over 40 years. He worked at a shipbuilding plant and later engaged in entrepreneurial activities. According to relatives, he had diverse interests: he was knowledgeable in mathematics, taught children swimming, worked on a sheep farming restoration program in Crimea, was one of the developers of the 'Reykobus' project for the Kirovohrad region, and published a translated book from Armenian about the artist Ivan Aivazovsky.

After the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Oleksandr Osadchyi remained on the peninsula. According to his brother Serhii, he openly supported Ukraine's territorial integrity and did not hide his pro-Ukrainian views. Despite the opportunity to leave, he decided to stay in Crimea on principle. His civic position, according to family and human rights defenders, became the reason for his subsequent political persecution.

In August 2023, Russian security forces detained Oleksandr Osadchyi. For almost a year, his family did not know his whereabouts. The Russian authorities concealed his location and provided no official information. Only through Crimean Tatar human rights defenders did the family learn that he was alive and held in pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Simferopol. Human rights defenders consider such prolonged concealment of a person's whereabouts a gross violation of international humanitarian law and the right to a fair trial.

In June 2025, a preliminary court hearing took place, during which Oleksandr's wife first learned about the charges against him. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, he is charged under three articles of the Russian Federation Criminal Code, with a maximum penalty of up to twenty years in prison. The family still has limited access to case materials, and information about the trial remains restricted.

During his detention, Oleksandr Osadchyi's health significantly deteriorated. According to his brother, he has lost a lot of weight, aged noticeably, and is in almost complete isolation. Human rights defenders have repeatedly highlighted the lack of adequate medical care and called on international organizations to respond to the situation. Oleksandr's health was specifically addressed during the presentation of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center's monitoring report on human rights violations in occupied Crimea.

As of July 21, 2026, Oleksandr Osadchyi remains in pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Simferopol. There is no information on a final verdict or his release in open verified sources. His case remains an example of politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.

Information sourced from: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne Crimea, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Photo: Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Last updated: 21.07.2026.