Detention: On July 7, 2020, Russian security forces searched the home of a blind Crimean Tatar activist and detained him as part of the so-called fourth Bakhchisaray Hizb ut-Tahrir case. Following his detention, the court placed him under house arrest due to complete loss of vision.

Sentence: On May 17, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don unlawfully sentenced Oleksandr Sizikov to 17 years of imprisonment, with the first 4 years in prison and the remainder in a strict regime colony. The Russian Federation found him guilty under charges of 'organizing the activities of a terrorist organization' and 'preparation for violent seizure of power.' Ukrainian and international human rights organizations consider the case politically motivated. In May 2025, the Minusinsk City Court released Sizikov due to health reasons: medical examinations confirmed complete loss of vision, which is listed among conditions preventing imprisonment. However, on October 21, 2025, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court overturned the release decision and ordered his return to prison, satisfying the prosecutor's request.

Oleksandr Sizikov was born on October 12, 1984, in Simferopol. His family later moved to the village of Turgenevka in the Bakhchisaray district. In 2002, he entered the Sevastopol National Technical University, graduating in 'Automation and Computer-Integrated Technologies.' He worked in construction and at a gas station in Sevastopol. In 2006, he converted to Islam.

In 2009, Oleksandr's life changed dramatically when he was hit by a car, resulting in complete loss of vision and a Group I disability. Despite this, he remained active in public life: supporting Crimean political prisoners, attending court hearings, assisting families of detainees, and participating in solo pickets against political repression in Crimea. Sizikov and human rights defenders believe this civic stance led to his persecution.

On July 7, 2020, FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Bakhchisaray district. Despite his blindness, Oleksandr was detained along with Seyran Khayretdinov and Alim Sufyanov. Russian investigators claimed he organized a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell. Human rights defenders emphasized the lack of evidence for violent actions in the case, with charges based on anonymous witness testimonies and dubious expert reports. Due to his disability, the court placed him under house arrest.

On May 17, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Oleksandr guilty and sentenced him to 17 years of imprisonment. Despite his severe health condition, in October 2024, he was taken into custody and transferred to Krasnoyarsk Krai, covering over five thousand kilometers. His family and lawyers repeatedly stated that the conditions of transfer and detention posed a serious threat to the blind man's life.

In March 2026, suffering from a prolonged cold, Sizikov complained about being forced to stand for 16 hours without the possibility of lying down in the Minusinsk prison in Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Solidarity, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, ZMINA, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Crimea Realities.

Photo: ZMINA.

Last updated: 22.07.2026.