92 Ukrainians Imprisoned in Crimea for "Espionage" Amid Torture Claims

In Crimea, at least 92 Ukrainians are imprisoned on charges of "espionage" and "sabotage". Human rights activists have documented torture, psychological pressure and the use of staged videos with "confessions".

This was reported by the Crimean Human Rights Group in its monitoring review of the human rights situation on the peninsula.

As of April 2025, at least 92 Ukrainians are imprisoned in the temporarily occupied Crimea, accused of "preparing sabotage" and "espionage".

Among the prisoners are both those detained in Crimea since 2014 and at least 33 people who were abducted in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions after the full-scale invasion and taken to Crimean detention centers.

Human rights activists emphasized that in such cases, the Russian Federal Security Service often charges people with preparing sabotage, storing weapons, or espionage. During the investigation, the use of torture, psychological pressure, and violation of the presumption of innocence are recorded. And the "confessions" of the detainees are disseminated in the form of staged videos through the Russian media.

During the first three months of 2025, at least 13 searches were recorded in the temporarily occupied Crimea, including 7 searches of members of the Crimean Tatar community. Russian security forces most often detain local residents, including Crimean Tatars, on charges of "discrediting the Russian army."

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

Also, the number of enforced disappearances in Crimea has increased, which the occupation authorities justify by fighting "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces," although in reality the courts are simply stamping out persecution. Since March 2022, at least 1,126 people have fallen victim to this policy, and this number continues to grow.

The Office of the President of Ukraine recently warned that recognizing Crimea as Russian would have serious consequences for global security, as it could destroy international law and undermine the nuclear disarmament system.

Анна Бальчінос