21 August 2024

Persecution of Ukrainian Citizens in Crimea by the Russian Occupation Administration for So-called “Treason”

Since the beginning of the occupation of Crimea in 2014, Russian security forces have been persecuting Ukrainian citizens on religious and political grounds. For the slightest resistance to the occupiers, people were abducted, detained, and illegally prosecuted for alleged “extremism” or “terrorism.” With the duration of the occupation, the occupiers’ repressions against Crimean residents have only intensified, and illegal “cases” on charges of alleged “treason” have begun to appear in the occupation “courts”.

The first known case was that of Halyna Dovhopola, whose criminal prosecution became known on January 8, 2020, when human rights activists identified a woman detained on suspicion of “high treason” (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in November 2019. 

As of mid-August 2024, 29 cases have already been reported, with 18 resulting in a verdict. Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation falls under the definition of “high treason”—“High treason, i.e., espionage committed by a citizen of the Russian Federation, the provision of information constituting a state secret provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation to a foreign state, international or foreign organization or their representatives, defection to the enemy, or the provision of financial, logistical, consulting or other assistance to a foreign state, international or foreign organization or their representatives.” The offense carries a penalty of 12 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 rubles. In April 2023, Russia modified the article to allow life imprisonment.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian occupiers have been increasing pressure and persecution of Ukrainian citizens under occupation. More people are persecuted and sentenced to longer terms for resisting the occupiers. The charges of guerrilla actions in occupied Crimea have changed: if people used to be accused of “extremism” or “terrorism”, now they are being falsified with cases of “treason” with imprisonment for decades or even life. 

In 2022, the occupiers reported at least 3 cases; in 2023, there were 6 cases; and in 2024, in the first half of the year alone, 18 cases of so-called “treason” were reported, in which Ukrainian citizens were accused of allegedly passing information to Ukrainian special services about the movement of Russian equipment, the state of fortifications, or allegedly preparing sabotage at the occupiers’ strategic military facilities in Crimea.

Due to the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens have actively joined and continue to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, there is a trend for the occupation administration to prosecute Ukrainian servicemen from Crimea in absentia for participating in hostilities against the Russian invaders.

As of August 2024, there are at least five open “criminal cases” in absentia against Ukrainian servicemen from Crimea. The occupation “court” has sentenced all the servicemen in absentia to imprisonment for 16 to 21 years and put them on the international wanted list. The details of the cases and the names of the illegally accused Ukrainian citizens are not disclosed.

A similar practice of persecuting Ukrainian citizens for “treason” can be observed in other occupied territories of Ukraine. Specifically, some of those illegally detained in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are transported to the territory of Crimea for illegal “trials”. 

These illegal trials of Ukrainian citizens represent a consistent violation of international humanitarian law. The occupying state is prohibited from establishing its legislation in the occupied territories and judging the military personnel of another state.