Political Prisoners

Kotov Serhii

Detention: On April 7, 2022, Serhii Kotov was unlawfully abducted by Russian occupiers in the city of Oleshky, Kherson region. He was detained by FSB officers under the pretext of 'counteracting the conduct of a special military operation' and was later secretly transferred to occupied Crimea. Sentence: On September 27, 2023, the Russian-controlled so-called 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea' sentenced Serhii Kotov to 15 years in a strict regime penal colony on fabricated charges of 'espionage' (Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code). In February 2024, the illegal 'Third Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction' upheld this sentence.

Koveshnikova Yuliya

Detention: On April 4 (or April 8, according to other sources), 2023, in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, Russian security forces abducted 44-year-old local resident and volunteer Yuliya Koveshnikova when she left home to top up her account. Her whereabouts were concealed for 8 months: she was held without legal status in an earthen 'pit' near Melitopol, later in the Mariupol pre-trial detention centre, and then transferred to occupied Crimea. Sentence: On June 7, 2024, the so-called Zaporizhzhia Regional Court, with the participation of the 'Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Crimea' representing the state prosecution, sentenced Yuliya Koveshnikova to 13 years in a general regime correctional colony under Article 276 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code ('espionage'). The sentence took effect, and she was unlawfully transferred to the Samara region of Russia.

Kozlan Oleksandra

Detention: On January 8, 2025, Oleksandra Kozlan was detained by officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia. Following her detention, she was remanded in custody and placed in pre-trial detention centre No. 1 in Simferopol. Sentence: As of July 19, 2026, no sentence has been issued. Oleksandra Kozlan remains in custody at pre-trial detention centre No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. The Russian Federation accuses her under Part 3 of Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“illegal handling of explosives”), Part 1 of Article 30, Part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“preparation for a terrorist act”), and Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“treason”). Human rights defenders see signs of politically motivated persecution in the case.

Kozlia Dmytro

Detention: In July 2023, Crimean entrepreneur Dmytro Kozlia was detained by FSB officers of the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea. He was taken into custody and placed in a pre-trial detention centre as part of a criminal case on charges of alleged repeated 'discrediting of the Russian army' through anti-war posts and comments on the social network Facebook. Sentence: On October 19, 2023, the so-called Kyiv District Court of Simferopol sentenced Dmytro Kozlia to 1 year of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony under Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On December 5, 2023, the occupying Supreme Court of Crimea upheld this sentence. The Crimean fully served the unlawful sentence and, according to human rights defenders, was released on May 21, 2024.

Kozlov Ivan

Detention: On April 21, 2022, 34-year-old IT specialist from Kherson, Ivan Kozlov, was detained by FSB officers of the Russian Federation at a checkpoint in the city of Armyansk. He was attempting to evacuate his wife Maria and their two young children from occupied Kherson to Georgia. After undergoing so-called 'filtration', the occupiers allowed his wife and children to pass, but Ivan was unlawfully taken into custody. Sentence: In November 2023, the Russian-controlled so-called Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced Ivan Kozlov to 11 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. He was found guilty of alleged 'espionage' on fabricated charges of transferring coordinates of Russian military locations to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine. In the spring of 2024, the occupation appellate court upheld this sentence without changes.

Kozlov Serhii

Detention: April 18, 2024, Kerch, temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Sentence: As of July 19, 2026, no sentence has been issued. Serhii Kozlov remains in custody. The Russian Federation accuses him under Article 205.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities), Article 205 part 2 point 'v' (terrorist act), Article 30 part 1 and Article 223.1 part 1 (preparation for illegal manufacture of explosive devices), Article 275 (treason), Article 30 part 1 and Article 205 part 3 point 'b', Article 30 part 1 and Article 205 part 2 points 'a', 'v' (preparation for a terrorist act), Article 222.1 part 3 points 'a', 'v' (illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, and carrying of explosives and explosive devices). The case is being reviewed by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. Human rights organizations consider the prosecution politically motivated.

Krosh Enver

Arrest: On August 11, 2022, FSB officers conducted a search at the home of Crimean Tatar activist Enver Krosh in a village in the Dzhankoy district of occupied Crimea. He was subsequently detained as part of the so-called 'first Dzhankoy group case of Crimean Muslims.' During transportation, security forces beat Krosh, strangled him with a belt, and demanded he unlock his phone. Sentence: On November 26, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Enver Krosh to 19 years in prison, with the first 4 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime colony. Human rights defenders and lawyers consider the case politically motivated and linked to his public activities and defense of Crimean Tatar rights.

Kryvoshein Serhii

Detention: On April 18, 2024, officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia detained Serhii Kryvoshein in occupied Kerch. During this period, other residents of the city were also detained and grouped into a single criminal case by Russian security forces. Sentence: As of July 19, 2026, no sentence has been issued. Serhii Kryvoshein remains in custody at Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don. The Russian Federation accuses him under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“treason”), Part 1 of Article 30, Part 2 of Article 205 (“preparation for a terrorist act”), Part 2 of Article 205.4 (“participation in a terrorist community”), and Part 4 of Article 222.1 (“illegal handling of explosives”). Human rights defenders consider the prosecution politically motivated.

Kryvtsun Volodymyr

Detention: In the summer of 2022, Volodymyr Kryvtsun was abducted by Russian military and FSB officers in the occupied city of Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia region. This occurred following an unlawful search on suspicion of allegedly planning an assassination attempt on the local collaborator and occupation 'mayor' Oleksandr Saulenko. Sentence: On April 18, 2024, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation) found Volodymyr Kryvtsun guilty on fabricated charges and sentenced him to 11 years of imprisonment. The Russian authorities accused the Ukrainian citizen of 'preparation for a crime and attempted crime' and 'act of international terrorism.'

Svetlishina Kseniya

Arrest: In December 2023, Russian security forces detained Kseniya Svetlishina in occupied Sevastopol as an activist of the Ukrainian resistance movement 'Yellow Ribbon'. The Russian side accused her of allegedly confidential cooperation with a foreign state and politically motivated vandalism. According to the occupation investigation, Svetlishina allegedly transmitted information about Russian military facilities to Ukrainian intelligence via Telegram and made political inscriptions on benches and public facilities in Anna Akhmatova Park in Sevastopol. Ukrainian human rights defenders view the case as politically motivated persecution of the activist. Sentence: On September 3, 2024, the occupation 'Sevastopol City Court' sentenced Kseniya Svetlishina to 5 years and 3 months in a general regime colony with restrictions on freedom after release. She was found guilty under Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly confidential cooperation with a foreign state and Part 2 of Article 214 of the Russian Criminal Code — 'vandalism based on political hostility'.

Kudinov Viktor

Detention: On August 25, 2022, FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of Viktor Kudinov and Serhiy Zhihalov in occupied Sevastopol. The men were detained on charges of 'organizing the activities of an extremist organization' due to their affiliation with the Jehovah's Witnesses religious community. Initially, they were placed in a temporary detention facility, and later, house arrest was imposed as a preventive measure. Sentence: On January 14, 2025, the Russia-controlled Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol sentenced Viktor Kudinov to 6 years in a general regime penal colony. Additionally, the court imposed restrictions on engaging in educational activities. On June 12, 2025, the occupation Sevastopol City Court upheld the sentence, dismissing the appeal...

Kuku Emir-Usein

Arrest: On February 11, 2016, officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation and other security forces of the occupying authorities conducted a search at the home of Crimean Tatar human rights defender Emir-Usein Kuku in Koreiz, near Yalta. Following the search, he was detained and charged with participating in the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia. Prior to this, in April 2015, Kuku had been abducted and beaten by FSB officers due to his human rights activities. Sentence: On November 12, 2019, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Emir-Usein Kuku to 12 years in a high-security penal colony, followed by one year of restricted freedom. On June 25, 2020, the Military Court of Appeal in Vlasikha, Moscow region, upheld the sentence.