82 Cases of Torture Documented by Crimean Human Rights Group Amid Russian Persecution

In almost all cases of alleged saboteurs and spies fabricated against Ukrainian activists and journalists, the Crimean Human Rights Group recorded torture. Currently, these are 82 cases.

This was reported by the Crimean Human Rights Group.

The system of torture and persecution that Russia has developed in Crimea has been transferred to the newly occupied territories. This was stated by the international advocacy manager of the Crimean Human Rights Group Iryna Baran during the event "Torture and arbitrary detention as crimes against humanity during the Russian war in Ukraine: justice for survivors" at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"What we have been witnessing since 2022 in the newly occupied regions of Ukraine has a direct connection with the methods that Russia has been implementing in Crimea since 2014. After the occupation of Crimea, Russia tried to establish control over civil society through enforced disappearances, politically motivated persecution, the use of torture to extract "confessions" and fabrication of cases against Ukrainian activists and Crimean Tatars," emphasized Iryna Baran.

The human rights activist reminded that the Russian Guard and the FSB use violence as the main method of controlling the occupied population. All documented cases of detention are accompanied by physical or psychological violence.

"Detention centers #1, #2 and #8 in Simferopol, which are used for persecution in Crimea, have also become places of torture for Ukrainians from other occupied regions. Moreover, according to the testimonies of civilians from Kherson region who were abducted and transferred to Crimea, the CHRG established cases when representatives of the FSB of Crimea took part in torture in detention centers in Kherson region, and then fabricated cases against such detainees in the Simferopol detention center," the human rights activist noted.

Intent reported that in February 2025, the occupation forces conducted illegal searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars and detained five people. Mass detentions, trumped-up charges, and searches are just some of the punitive measures that the occupation authorities systematically use to suppress resistance.

In total, 61 searches were recorded in the occupied Crimea in 2024, of which 35 were conducted in the homes of Crimean Tatars. Also, according to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, after the occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation has been actively practicing religious persecution on the peninsula. Currently, 117 people are being persecuted in the so-called Hizb ut-Tahrir case.

Ігор Льов