Blind defendant in the 'case of Crimean Muslims' Sizikov was taken to the colony

Completely blind Oleksandr Sizikov, who is being tried in the case of Crimean Muslims, arrived at the place of serving his sentence in Minusinsk, Russia.

This was reported by Krym.Realii.

Currently, the man is in quarantine, and those who are not indifferent are urged to support him by correspondence through specialized services of communication with penitentiary institutions. This event was the continuation of a long legal confrontation, as recently the Russian Court of Cassation refused to consider the defense's appeal against the decision to return the Crimean to the place of detention.

Sizikov's return to prison was preceded by a series of controversial court decisions. In May 2026, the Minusinsk City Court released him due to complete loss of sight, which allowed Oleksandr to return home to Crimea. However, on October 21, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court overturned this humane decision, ordering the man to be imprisoned again. Immediately after that, security forces took him out of his home, and a Russian-controlled court in Bakhchisarai additionally arrested him for 10 days, accusing him of allegedly disobeying the police.

The story of the persecution of Oleksandr Sizikov began in July 2020, when he became a defendant in the so-called case of Crimean Muslims. Back then, during mass searches on the peninsula, seven Crimean Tatars were detained and accused of involvement in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. This religious organization is considered a terrorist organization in Russia, although it operates legally in most countries. Due to his first-grade disability, Oleksandr was kept under house arrest for a long time, while the other detainees were immediately sent to a pre-trial detention center.

The situation changed radically in the fall of 2024, when the blind man was forcibly taken from his home and transferred to a prison in Minusinsk. Despite his health condition, which objectively prevents him from serving his sentence in general conditions, the Russian judicial system continues to insist on keeping Oleksandr in custody far outside Crimea.

Катерина Глушко