Of the 29 civilian journalists held captive by the occupiers, 18 are Crimean media workers

As of October 11, 2024, at least 29 civilian Ukrainian media workers, most of them from Crimea, are in Russian captivity.

The list was published by the Institute of Mass Information.

Most of the journalists on the list are from Crimea (18 of them), including Crimean Tatar civilian journalists who are accused of involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia, and of preparing sabotage in Crimea on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence.

Thus, among the journalists detained by the occupiers in Crimea are the following:

Iryna Danylovych, a journalist for Radio Liberty, who was arrested by Russian security forces on April 29, 2022, in occupied Crimea. In December 2022, she was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of possession of an explosive device. She was transferred to a penal colony in Russia.

Vladyslav Yesypenko is a journalist of Radio Liberty, detained on March 10, 2021 in Simferopol. The journalist was charged with "collecting information in the interests of Ukraine's special services", in particular the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. On February 16, 2022, he was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony in a case of illegal possession and transportation of an explosive device.

Oleksiy Bessarabov is a journalist and public figure who was illegally imprisoned by Russia in occupied Crimea in 2016. He worked for the Nomos think tank and wrote for the Black Sea Security magazine. The court sentenced him to 14 years in prison on charges of "espionage and sabotage."

Dmytro Shtyblikov is a journalist and public figure who was detained in occupied Crimea in 2016. He, together with Oleksiy Bessarabov and Volodymyr Dudka, was accused of espionage and preparation of sabotage. As a result of a fabricated trial, Shtyblikov was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Seiran Saliyev is a citizen journalist, a streamer of Crimean Solidarity. He was detained on October 11, 2017, in occupied Bakhchisarai, along with five other Crimean Tatars. He was accused of preparing sabotage in Crimea on the order of Ukrainian intelligence. In 2020, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison on trumped-up terrorism charges in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case. He is serving an illegal sentence in a colony in the Tula region.

Marlen Asanov is a citizen journalist, a volunteer of the Crimean Solidarity initiative. He was detained on October 11, 2017 in Bakhchisarai together with other Crimean Tatars. They were all accused of "organizing the activities of the terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir." On September 16, 2020, a Russian court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Asanov to 19 years in prison.

Timur Ibragimov is a civilian journalist from Crimea who has been covering the occupiers' actions regarding human rights violations and repressions in the region since 2014. He was detained by Russian security forces on October 11, 2017, along with several other Crimean Tatars in the case of the second Bakhchisarai group of Hizb ut-Tahrir. On September 16, 2020, a Russian court sentenced him to 17 years in prison.

Server Mustafayev is a citizen journalist and coordinator of the Crimean Solidarity public association. In 2018, after a search, he was arrested along with other defendants in the "second Bakhchisarai Hizb ut-Tahrir case". On September 16, 2020, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, announced a sentence of 14 years in prison.

Osman Arifmemetov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and activist. He was detained on March 27, 2019. Together with several other activists, he was accused of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. On November 24, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Arifmemetov to 14 years in a maximum security prison.

Remzi Bekirov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist with the Crimean Solidarity initiative. He was detained on March 27, 2019 in occupied Crimea during searches in the homes of Crimean Tatar activists. In 2020, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 19 years in prison on charges of terrorist activity and attempted seizure of power.

Ruslan Suleymanov is a Crimean Tatar civilian journalist and activist who was detained by Russian security forces in Crimea on March 27, 2019, as part of massive searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars. In 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 14 years in prison on charges of terrorist activity and attempted seizure of power.

Rustem Sheikhaliev is a Crimean Tatar civilian journalist and activist. He was detained on March 27, 2019, during mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Kamenka and Stroganovka neighborhoods of Simferopol. Russian security forces accused him of participating in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. On November 24, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Sheikhaliyev to 14 years in prison on charges of terrorist activity and attempted seizure of power.

Amet Suleymanov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist with Crimean Solidarity, who covered searches and detentions of Crimean Tatars after the 2014 Russian occupation of Crimea. On October 29, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 12 years in prison on charges of "participation in the activities of a terrorist organization" due to his involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Asan Akhtemov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist illegally detained in a Russian prison. Akhtemov is one of 16 Crimean Tatar journalists imprisoned by Russia on trumped-up charges of terrorist activity or participation in banned organizations.

Vilen Temerianov is a civilian journalist, a correspondent for Crimean Solidarity and Grani.ru. He was detained in 2022 on charges of participating in Hizb ut-Tahrir and preparing sabotage in Crimea on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence. In 2023, he was illegally transferred from the temporarily occupied Crimea. In the detention center, the journalist's eyesight deteriorated sharply.

Ernes Ametov is a Crimean Tatar civilian journalist who was detained on October 12, 2017, along with other activists of the Crimean Solidarity organization. On December 29, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 11 years in prison on trumped-up charges of terrorist activity and collaboration with Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Rustem Osmanov, a Crimean Tatar civilian journalist and activist, was detained in Crimea on March 5, 2024, on charges of "involvement in a terrorist organization". The court extended his detention in the pre-trial detention center until November 4, 2024.

Aziz Azizov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and correspondent for Crimean Solidarity. He was arrested on March 5, 2024 in Bakhchisarai and detained until May 4. The court then extended his detention in the pre-trial detention center until November 4, 2024. He is accused of participating in terrorist activities.

Also, in 2023, the Russians detained most of the administrators and authors of local Telegram channels in occupied Melitopol, who wrote about life under occupation.

It is also noted that on June 28, 2024, journalist and politician Nariman Dzhelal was returned from Russian captivity. This is the first person released from the list of Ukrainian journalists captured by Russia. He worked as a presenter on the ATR TV channel, a correspondent for the Crimean newspaper Avdet, and taught history and law at the Simferopol International School. Also, since 2013, he has been the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and the head of the information and analytical unit.

Also, on October 10, 2024, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the death of journalist Victoria Roshchina in Russian captivity.

Володимир Шкаєв