Initiative to support Crimean political prisoners “Letters to a free Crimea” is launched

All concerned citizens will be able to write a letter to illegally imprisoned Ukrainians who are being held by the occupation administrations in the occupied Crimea or deported to the territory of the Russian Federation. The campaign will last from April 27 to May 27. During the month, the organizers – the Mission of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, PEN Ukraine and ZMINA – will collect letters and deliver them to the places of illegal detention of Crimean political prisoners.

The purpose of the Letters to a Free Crimea initiative is to remind about the Ukrainian prisoners of the Kremlin, to demonstrate that they are interested in and cared about.

A large number of letters is also an important message for prison administrations that a person cannot be injured or killed, because it will immediately become known to the public, so the organizers urge as many people as possible to join the campaign.

Letters can be addressed to the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelal, civilian journalist Iryna Danylovych, athlete Uzeyir Abdullayev and other Crimean political prisoners, whose names can be found below.

“These are someone’s husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They are someone’s close friends. Two of mine – Nariman Dzhelial and Server Mustafayev – received almost maximum sentences on falsified charges. They are worthy sons of their people, talented journalists, good and honest people,” emphasizes the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the AR of Crimea Tamila Tasheva.

Each of the political prisoners continues to support Ukraine, even in the inhumane conditions of pre-trial detention centers or colonies. And now we can support them. With a word, a joke, a news story, a conversation about everything simple and everything complex.

“It is important that all Crimean political prisoners are released as soon as possible, because every day in a Russian prison is a great risk to life and health. To do this, it is necessary to continue to draw attention to those illegally detained in Russian prisons. Also, letters to political prisoners are a fight against the information vacuum in which Ukrainian prisoners are held. This is a great support for them,” says Maksym Sytnikov, Deputy Executive Director of PEN Ukraine.

The Ukrainian peninsula remains in the heart of every Crimean political prisoner, even if they are now in the most remote part of Russia. Despite the bars that restrain the bodies of illegally imprisoned Ukrainians, their souls and hearts are free. That is why all these letters will go to a free Crimea, to each of the Crimean political prisoners.

“More than one and a half hundred of our fellow citizens are imprisoned in the occupied Crimea or in Russia in politically motivated cases, most of them are Crimean Tatars. People are being persecuted because of their journalistic or civic activities, their position in support of Ukraine, their religious views or anti-war protests. After February 24, 2022, Russia significantly increased persecution and pressure in Crimea, but even before the full-scale invasion, 120 Kremlin prisoners were behind bars, some of them (such as Valentyn Vygivskyi or Viktor Shur) have been imprisoned since 2014. It is important for all of these people to know that Ukraine has not forgotten about them and is fighting for their release,” says Tetiana Pechonchyk, head of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA.

Anyone who wants to take part in the initiative can send letters to a physical address or online from April 27 to May 27.

Physical address (sending at the sender’s expense): Human Rights Information Center, PO Box B-539, Kyiv, 01001

Email: Free.CrimeaUA@gmail.com

Instructions for writing letters can be found here. When writing your letter, please indicate to which political prisoner you are addressing it. The list contains only those addressees whose location is known to us, which makes it possible to deliver the letters.

Organisers of the initiative: Mission of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, PEN Ukraine, Human Rights Centre ZMINA

List of political prisoners you can write to

Abdulvapov Ametkhan
Abdulgaziev Tofik
Abdulganiev Eskender
Abdulkadyrov Vladlen
Abdullayev Zavur
Abdullayev Izzet
Abdullayev Teymur
Abdullayev Uzeyir
Abdurazakov Osman
Abdurakhmanov Medzhit
Abdurakhmanov Ruslan
Abiltarov Rustem
Ablyamitov Medzhit
Abseitov Zevri
Abkhairov Arsen
Adilov Bilal
Aivazov Raim
Aliyev Muslim
Aliev Renat
Alimov Refat
Ametov Enver
Ametov Ernes
Arifmemetov Osman
Asanov Ayder
Asanov Marlen (Suleyman)
Akhtemov Aziz
Akhtemov Asan
Babych Oleksandr
Bazarov Farhod
Bekirov Akim
Bekirov Jebbar
Bekirov Eden
Bekirov Inver
Bekirov Ramzi
Bektemirov Vadim
Bessarabov Alexey
Belyalov Memet
Bogdanov Oleg
Vygovsky Valentyn
Gaziev Servet
Gafarov Dilyaver
Heidt Sergey
Gerasimov Artem
Golubev Andriy
Golubev Dmitry
Goldenberg Valeria
Gorelikov Vladimir
Gorobtsova Irina
Gugurik Rustem
Davydenko Konstantin
Danilovich Iryna
Dzhapparov Aider
Dzhelial Nariman
Dzhemadenov Emil
Dovgopolova Galina
Dolgopolov Dmitry
Dudka Vladimir
Emiruseinov Rustem
Eyupov Azamat
Yesypenko Vladyslav
Zhuk Yaroslav
Zhukov Yevhen
Pavlo Zaporozhets
Zarivnyi Oleksandr
Zakharov Dmitry
Zakhtei Andrii
Zeytullaev Ruslan
Zekiryaev Lehman
Zekiryaev Server
Ziza Bogdan
Ziyadinov Emil
Ibragimov Ernest
Ibragimov Ismet
Ibragimov Timur
Ibraimov Arsen
Izetov Riza
Ismailov Rustem
Kabakov Sergey
Kadyrov Edem
Kayov Yuriy
Calatayud Mariano Garcia
Kantemirov Eldar
Karakashev Yevhen
Karimov Alim
Kashuk Denis
Kiselev Alexey
Kovalskyi Serhii
Kozlov Ivan
Kolomiets Andriy
Krosh Ekrem
Krosh Enver
Kuku Emir-Usein
Kurtamet Appaz
Lemeshko Gennady
Doll Denis
Maladika Volodymyr
Mambetov Khalil
Mamutov Aidyn
Mamutov Enver
Masharipov Yunus
Mezhmedinov Nariman
Memetov Remzi
Mesutov Ruslan
Muedinov Yashar
Murasov Rustem
Muratov Zekirya
Murtaza Seyran
Mustafayev Marlen
Mustafayev Murat
Mustafayev Server
Nagayev Ruslan
Novatsky Alexander
Omerov Enver
Omerov Riza
Osmanov Ansar
Osmanov Erfan
Osmanov Rustem
Officers Sergey
Parkhomenko Leonid
Prikhodko Oleg
Reznik Konstantin
Ryazanov Vitaliy
Saganji Fevzi
Sakada Vladimir
Saledinov Aider
Saliev Seyran
Seydaliev Nasrullah
Seydametov Lenur
Seidametov Refat
Seitabdiev Seitveli
Seitmemetov Rustem
Seytosmanov Enver
Seytosmanov Ernest
Seytumerov Osman
Seytumerov Seytumer
Seitkhalilov Rustem
Sizikov Oleksandr
Siruk Vadym
Smailov Edem
Stashevskyi Viktor
Amet Suleymanov
Suleymanov Eskender
Suleymanov Ruslan
Sufyanov Alim
Sukhonosova Anna
Tairov Rustem
Tarapon Alexander
Temerianov Vilen
Umerov Shaban
Umerova Lenia
Fevziev Raif
Fedorov Oleg (Ali)
Filatov Sergiy
Khayredinov Seyran
Khalilov Igor
Khalilov Lenur
Tsyhypa Serhii
Sheikhaliev Rustem
Shiptur Mykola
Shikhametov Yashar
Schmidt Igor
Shtyblikov Dmytro
Yakymenko Volodymyr
Timur Yalkabov
Yanikov Asan
Yatskin Ivan