Political Prisoners

Vyhivskyi Valentyn

Detention: On September 17, 2014, he arrived in occupied Simferopol for one day to attend an aviation exhibition and meet with aviation enthusiast friends. At the railway station, he was abducted by representatives of the so-called 'Crimean self-defense' and then handed over to FSB officers. For several weeks, his family did not know his whereabouts. It was only at the end of October that it became known Valentyn was held in Moscow's Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre. According to relatives, independent lawyers were not allowed during the investigation, and the case was completely classified. The FSB accused the Ukrainian of alleged 'espionage' for Ukraine in the aerospace field, but the case materials were not disclosed even to his family. Sentence: On December 15, 2015, the Moscow Regional Court sentenced Valentyn Vyhivskyi to 11 years...

Vyunenko Yuriy

Detention: The exact date of Yuriy Anatoliyovych Vyunenko's detention is not established in open human rights sources. It is known that he is a 45-year-old resident of Kerch, a Ukrainian citizen, persecuted by the Russian occupying authorities on charges of 'state treason'. His case was prosecuted under Article 275 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code — 'state treason'. According to human rights sources, the Russian side claimed that Vyunenko collaborated with the Security Service of Ukraine and transmitted information about Russian military facilities in Crimea to the Ukrainian side. This included coordinates of air defense systems in Kerch and information on the movement of military equipment. Russian security agencies stated that the information obtained from him could have been used for strikes on military targets. These claims are the version of the Russian investigation and court and cannot be considered independently verified facts. Sentence: On December 4, 2024, the so-called 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea', operating under Russian occupation of the peninsula, found Yuriy Vyunenko guilty under the article on 'state treason'. He was sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime colony and 1 year and 6 months of restricted freedom after serving the main sentence.

Yakubov Eldar

Detention: On August 24, 2023, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the homes of six Crimean Tatars and detained Eldar Yakubov along with Seydamet Mustafayev, Abdulmedzhit Seitumerov, Amethan Umerov, Remzi Nimetulaev, and Ruslan Asanov. All were accused of involvement with the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which Russia has designated as 'terrorist,' although it operates legally in Ukraine and most countries worldwide. Sentence: As of July 24, 2026, there is no final verdict. Eldar Yakubov remains in custody. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of a terrorist organization') and Part 1 of Article 30, Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code ('preparation for violent seizure of power'). Human rights organizations consider the case politically motivated.

Balitsky Yaroslav

Arrest: He was detained by FSB officers on charges of 'espionage' for the Security Service of Ukraine. According to the investigation, in October 2022, Balitsky contacted a representative of the SSU and offered cooperation. He was allegedly tasked with installing surveillance cameras near the building of the occupying 'law enforcement agencies' to monitor the movement and location of security forces and their transport. In 2024, a video of Balitsky's interrogation appeared online, where he claims he was recruited by the SSU back in 2001 and had been in contact with a Ukrainian agent named Roman since 2019. Sentence: The trial was held behind closed doors due to the presence of classified materials. Initially, Balitsky was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony, but considering...

Yatskin Ivan

Arrest: On October 16, 2019, Ivan Yatskin, a Ukrainian citizen and resident of the Simferopol district, was detained by Russian security forces in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. FSB officers searched his home, seizing Ukrainian documents and a laptop. On the same day, Ivan Yatskin was unlawfully transferred from the occupied Crimean peninsula to Moscow and placed in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre. The Russian authorities concealed his detention for a long time; his family learned of his whereabouts only months later. He was charged with alleged state treason under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code. Russian investigators claimed that Ivan was collecting and transmitting information about Russian law enforcement officers in occupied Crimea to Ukrainian intelligence services. Ivan Yatskin denied the charges. Sentence: On May 21, 2021, the Russian-controlled 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea' sentenced Ivan Yatskin to 11 years in a strict regime colony and one year of restricted freedom after release. The trial and sentencing were held in a closed session, with case details withheld under claims of state secrecy by the Russian side. Yatskin was found guilty of 'state treason' in the form of espionage. Human rights defenders and Ukrainian authorities consider the criminal prosecution of Ivan politically motivated and fabricated. In September 2021, the Russian-controlled 'Supreme Court of Crimea' upheld the sentence, and in June 2022, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation rejected the cassation appeal.

Yeltsova Anna

Detention: Following the full-scale Russian invasion, she remained in the occupied territory, where she was unlawfully detained by Russian security forces in December 2022. According to human rights defenders, after her detention, Anya was held in isolation for an extended period without proper access to a lawyer or contact with her family. Subsequently, a criminal case was initiated against her on charges of 'espionage' (Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code). The Russian side claimed she allegedly transmitted information about Russian military movements to the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasize that the case bears all the hallmarks of politically motivated persecution, and independent verification of the evidence is impossible due to the closed nature of the proceedings. Sentence: In October 2024, the so-called 'Kherson Regional Court,' established by the Russian occupation administration, found Anya Yeltsova guilty of 'espionage' and sentenced her to 10 years in a general regime colony. Human rights defenders stress that the trial was conducted with numerous violations of the right to a fair trial, and the case materials remained closed to independent scrutiny. Anya Yeltsova is included in the lists of Ukrainian civilian political prisoners illegally detained by Russia on politically motivated charges.

Yenyukov Andriy

Detention: At the end of August 2022, FSB officers detained Andriy and initiated a criminal case against him under Article 280, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Public calls for extremist activities committed using means or information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet”), Article 30, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Preparation for a crime and attempted crime”), Article 205, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Assistance to terrorist activities”), and Article 205.2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism, committed using mass media or electronic or information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet”). Sentence: In October 2024, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Andriy Yenyukov guilty and sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment. According to the sentence, the first 3 years are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a high-security penal colony. Additionally, the court imposed restrictions on his freedom after release. The human rights project “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” recognized Andriy Yenyukov as a political prisoner, emphasizing that the case was largely based on dubious evidence and testimonies obtained under pressure.

Yerzhov Serhiy

Detention: According to Ukrainian human rights organizations, he was detained by Russian security forces on June 23, 2023, following the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation. After his detention, he was held for a long period without contact with his family and without access to an independent lawyer. Subsequently, Russian authorities charged him under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code ('Espionage'). Sentence: According to the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Serhiy Yerzhov was sentenced to 18 years in a strict regime penal colony on charges of 'espionage'. He is held in pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Simferopol. Serhiy's daughter, Viktoriya Barabash, informed human rights defenders that her father requires leg surgery and is not receiving necessary medication.

Yesypenko Vladyslav

Arrest: On March 10, 2021, Vladyslav Yesypenko was detained by officers of the Russian Federation's FSB in occupied Crimea after covering events for Taras Shevchenko's birthday in Simferopol. Following his arrest, Russian security forces claimed to have found an object resembling a homemade explosive device in his car and accused the journalist of gathering information for Ukrainian intelligence. Yesypenko and his defenders denied these charges, emphasizing the case's political persecution aspects. Sentence: On February 16, 2022, the Russia-controlled Simferopol District Court sentenced Vladyslav Yesypenko to 6 years of imprisonment and a fine of 110,000 rubles. In August 2022, the appellate court reduced the sentence to 5 years of imprisonment.

Yunusov Talyat

Detention: On March 11, 2015, Russian security forces detained Talyat Yunusov in the village of Yastrubivka, Krasnohvardiiske district, Crimea. According to his father, Asan Yunusov, armed masked men entered their home around 7 a.m., conducted a search, and stated only that cameras allegedly recorded Talyat's participation in the events of February 26, 2014, and that he was suspected of causing bodily harm to a rally participant. He was taken to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, after which the court ordered pre-trial detention. Talyat Yunusov was charged under Part 2 of Article 212 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in mass riots'). Following the advice of his lawyer, Djemil Temishev, he entered a plea agreement, admitting guilt on the condition that his testimony would not be used as evidence in other defendants' cases. Another defendant, ATR TV channel operator Eskender Nebiev, made a similar agreement. Human rights activists noted that this decision was forced and aimed at avoiding a lengthy imprisonment. Sentence: On December 28, 2015, the Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol found Talyat Yunusov guilty of participating in mass riots and sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with probation. The court approved the plea agreement, so the case was considered in a special procedure.

Zakhtei Andrii

Detention: On the night of August 6-7, 2016, FSB officers detained Zakhtei. After his arrest, he was held for several days without access to an independent lawyer. He later stated that FSB officers tortured him: they beat him severely, kept him handcuffed for extended periods, subjected him to electric shocks, threatened his family, and forced him to record a 'confession' for Russian television. Under torture, he gave testimony, which he later retracted. Russian investigators accused Zakhtei of preparing sabotage, illegal acquisition and storage of weapons and explosives, using forged documents, and illegally obtaining a Russian passport. In 2017, he entered a pre-trial agreement with the investigation. According to his lawyers, this was a forced step after nearly a year...

Zaporozhets Pavlo

Detention: On May 9, 2022, Pavlo was abducted by Russian military forces. Initially, he was held in a temporary detention facility in Kherson, where, according to his statements and testimonies from relatives, he was subjected to systematic torture, beatings, and electric shocks to force a confession. A few months later, he was illegally transferred to occupied Crimea and subsequently to Rostov-on-Don. Russian investigators accused Pavlo of preparing an 'act of international terrorism,' alleging he planned to blow up the route of a Russian military patrol on May 9, 2022, in occupied Kherson. Sentence: On November 30, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Pavlo Zaporozhets guilty under the article on 'international terrorism' and sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment. The first 3 years are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony. The Russian prosecution requested a 13-year sentence. The defense argued that Pavlo is a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention, making the criminal prosecution unlawful. The court dismissed these arguments. In May 2025, the Russian appellate court upheld the sentence, after which lawyers announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with a repeat cassation complaint.