Relatives of political prisoners in Crimea were deceived with promises of release

Relatives of Crimean political prisoners were warned about a scam in which they were allegedly promised the release of their loved ones in exchange for large sums of money. Lawyers, people who were held with the prisoners in pretrial detention centers, and representatives of Russian intelligence agencies may have been involved in the scheme.

Eskender Bariev, chairman of the board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, spoke about the scheme.

According to him, the scammers exploited the despair of families whose loved ones were facing criminal prosecution in Crimea and promised a quick release through supposedly influential lawyers.

Under the scheme, a person was planted in the detention center to gain the potential victim’s trust and tell them about an allegedly successful release thanks to expensive lawyers with access to high-ranking FSB officials. After their own release, such individuals would continue to persuade the relatives of other political prisoners to transfer money for their mediation services.

Bariyev noted that families were quoted sums of about 2 million rubles for lawyers’ services and between 150,000 and 200,000 dollars for the alleged assistance of FSB representatives. At the same time, he said, people did not receive the promised release but could instead face the maximum sentence and lose significant amounts of money.

Separately, he warned of cases where, after promises went unfulfilled, relatives and the prisoners themselves were allegedly pressured into signing a contract and participating in the war against Ukraine. They may have been promised that, after being sent to the front, their defection to the Ukrainian side would be arranged.

According to Bariev, he has already learned of several people who may have fallen into such a trap. He also reported cases where those recruited were killed, leaving their families without loved ones, money, or housing—and even saddled with debt.

The author urged relatives of political prisoners to thoroughly vet the lawyers and intermediaries to whom they entrust the fate of their loved ones and their own funds. He emphasized that promises to organize an escape across the front line cannot be a guarantee of safety.

After 2022, two new pretrial detention centers were opened in Crimea, where civilians detained in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine began to be brought. Journalists determined that both facilities are closely linked to the FSB.

Анна Літман