Russia holds about 200 deportees from Ukraine in Simferopol detention center

Olha Skrypnyk, chairman of the Crimean Human Rights Group’s board, shared the information on Espreso TV.

According to her, the detentions started to occur no later than in May 2022, when Russian troops occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. People were detained and taken to Crimea. Fabricated criminal proceedings were initiated against some of them, and some are still being held hostage.

"At the end of the year, perhaps earlier, Russia opened an additional detention center specifically for this purpose. Before there was only one detention center in Simferopol, where people were taken, but later they opened another one at the same address. And now there are 2 detention centers,” Olha Skrypnyk said.

The human rights activist noted that the second detention center holds deportees from the recently occupied Ukrainian territories. Among them are journalists, activists, volunteers, anti-terrorist operation veterans and their relatives. 

"Now we know about several hundred such people. There are at least 110 people held in the second detention center, and there are still people who are held in the other one. It is difficult to name a total number because Russia refuses to even recognize some people," the human rights activist stressed.

In spring, Russian forces abducted Serhiy Tsyhipa, an activist from Nova Kakhovka. FSB employees confirm that the Ukrainian is being held in their custody, but do not admit that he is held in the Simferopol detention center.

"Therefore, it is difficult to name the total number, but there are at least 200 people. Some of them are being taken from Crimea to the Russian Federation allegedly to continue court hearings in their "cases". Russia claims that the "investigation" is completed and, since people are accused of terrorism, they are taken, for example, to Rostov, where they should be tried by the Rostov court,” Olha Skrypnyk added.

• On January 4, human rights activists reported that Russia plans to transfer Ruslan Abdurakhmanov, a Crimean Tatar, who has been illegally convicted for participation in the battalion named after Noman Chelebidzhikhan, to a Russian colony. The man is asking to be a part of a prisoners of war exchange.