Crimean political prisoners are being held in Russian prisons after serving their sentences

The end of an unlawful prison term for Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian prisons does not always mean freedom. People may be held in custody for years longer, given new sentences, or taken away to an unknown destination.

This was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

The Center cited the cases of Crimean political prisoners Valentin Vyhovsky and Gennady Limeshko, who were unable to return home after serving their sentences.

Valentin Vyhovsky was detained by Russian security forces on September 17, 2014, in occupied Crimea. He was accused of allegedly spying for Ukrainian intelligence services.

In December 2015, a Moscow regional court in the Russian Federation sentenced him to 11 years in a strict-regime penal colony. The following year, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the sentence.

According to the Crimean Human Rights Center (KRZ), Vyhovsky endured harsh conditions during his imprisonment. He spent nearly five years in solitary confinement and was later placed in a disciplinary isolation cell.

He was barred from making phone calls to his family as early as 2017. As a result, his contact with loved ones was effectively limited to written correspondence.

Vyhovsky’s 11-year sentence was scheduled to end on September 17, 2025. However, he was not released and remains in Russian custody to this day.

On August 3, 2026, Vyhovsky turned 43. According to the Coordination Center, this was his 12th consecutive birthday behind bars.

Hennadiy Limeshko was detained on August 12, 2017, in Sudak. An occupation court sentenced him to eight years in a penal colony on charges of allegedly planning acts of sabotage.

Limeshko served his sentence at Penal Colony No. 6 in the Stavropol Krai. He completed his eight-year term on February 21, 2025.

However, instead of being released, he was transported under guard to the Center for Temporary Detention of Foreigners in the Rostov Region. He remained there until March 13, after which he was taken to an unknown destination.

Subsequently, a new criminal case was opened against Limeshko. In August 2025, he was charged with allegedly making public calls for extremist activity.

In this case, he was sentenced again—this time to two years in prison.

Thus, after eight years in prison, Limeshko has not been released. Since September 2025, he has had no contact with his family, who do not know where he is.

The Crimean Human Rights Center also recalls the story of Oleksandr Dolzhenkov. He was detained in occupied Crimea in 2020, when he was 22 years old.

He was accused of forming an “extremist group” that allegedly sought to return Crimea to Ukrainian jurisdiction.

After completing his first sentence, Dolzhenkov was detained again immediately upon his release. This time, he was charged with allegedly making a false report about a bomb threat on the Crimean Bridge.

In total, he spent more than five years in Russian captivity. On January 21, 2026, Dolzhenkov was released and subsequently deported to Armenia.

According to the KRC, such cases create constant uncertainty for the families of political prisoners. Even knowing the release date does not guarantee that a person will actually be set free.

The Center states that repeated sentences, delays in release, and restrictions on contact with the outside world are part of the politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian citizens.

Ірина Глухова