CrimeaSOS: Blind political prisoner Oleksandr Sizikov is a victim of a wide range of human rights violations and war crimes  

The case of Crimean political prisoner Oleksandr Sizikov demonstrates a wide range of human rights violations and war crimes by the russian federation. This was reported by CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko. 

“The case of Sizikov is a clear example of how the russian federation systematically disregards the norms of international humanitarian law and fundamental human rights. In one case, we can trace many types of human rights violations and war crimes: illegal interference with housing, illegal criminal prosecution, illegal deprivation of liberty, deportation from occupied territory, inhuman treatment that threatens life and health, etc. This is not an isolated case, but part of the occupying state’s targeted repressive policy against Crimean Tatars, Muslim communities, civic activists, and anyone who disagrees with the actions of the occupation authorities”, –Yevhenii Yaroshenko noted. 

After the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, the russian federation extended its legislation to its territory, contrary to Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and, systematically violating the norms of international humanitarian law, began to actively persecute Crimean Muslims, including Oleksandr Sizikov, for alleged membership in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir” organization, which is considered terrorist in russia. 

According to the analyst, the case of the person involved in the “fourth Bakhchysarai group of Hizb ut-Tahrir” contains numerous human rights violations. In particular, during an arbitrary search of a political prisoner’s home, the occupation security forces disregarded his right to respect for private and family life and housing. 

While at liberty, Oleksandr visited search sites and court hearings in politically motivated criminal cases and went on solo pickets in support of his guardian Edem Smailov who was arrested in May 2018. In view of the above, the persecution of Sizikov may constitute a violation of the right to freedom of expression, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association. In addition, the large-scale and systematic persecution of Crimean activists may be regarded as a crime against humanity. 

On September 13, 2024, the Military Court of Appeal of the russian federation upheld the 17-year prison sentence of Odeksandr Sizikov and ordered him to be taken into custody. The political prisoner was arrested the very next day. 

“On the day of the political prisoner’s arrest, russian police officers came to his house, threatening with force and liability in the event of “failure to comply with the lawful demands of police officers.” Thus, Sizikov became a victim of a war crime in the form of unlawful deprivation of liberty in the context of military occupation, rather than only violation of the right to freedom and personal integrity”, – Yevhenii added. 

russian legislation provides for the release of people with complete loss of vision from serving sentences in correctional institutions. Despite this, the blind political prisoner was placed in a penitentiary institution, where he was forced to move around gropingly. This is considered inhumane treatment, which in the context of military occupation also constitutes a war crime. 

In addition, a war crime in the form of deportation is Sizikov’s transfer to a prison in Yeniseysk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, located 5,500 kilometres from his home. It also violates the right to respect for private and family life, as sending a prisoner to such remote locations makes it impossible to maintain family ties. 

It should be noted that last year the UN Human Rights Committee and the European Court of Human Rights adopted a decision recognizing the transfer of Crimean prisoners to serve their sentences in the russian federation as a violation of this right. In particular, in the decision in the case of “Ukraine v. the Russia (re Crimea)”, the ECHR obliged the russian federation to immediately return all convicted persons who had previously been transferred from Crimea to the territory of russia. 

We would like to remind you that Ukrainian human rights activists called for the release of blind Oleksandr Sizikov, as imprisonment poses a real threat to his health and life. These risks are exacerbated by the systematic failure to provide prisoners with necessary medical care and other forms of cruel and inhumane treatment by administrations of russian penitentiary institutions.