Political prisoner Ivan Yatskin receives death threats at the Simferopol detention center 

Polozov found out about death threats on May 13th, during the conversation with his client. They met before the seating of the Russia-controlled “Supreme Court of Crimea” that had to consider Yatskin’s case. 

According to the account of Yatskin, one of the high-standing Russian police officers in Crimea visited him before the May holidays. This unusual visitor is one of the persons whose name appears in Yatskin’s case. 

“Usually, this is not common when people whose names appear in the case visit the accused in a detention center. The conversation was probably unsuccessful. Because when Yatskin returned to the cell, he began getting threats from other people in the cell. Before that, for almost a month, they had normal relationships. And now, suddenly, after this conversation, other detained people started threatening Yatskiv and his family… Those threats are not linked to any demands. They just said that they would set Yatskiv’s house on fire with his kinds in it etc. They even threatened me somehow. Because of this, he had to ask to be transferred to a different cell,” – says the defender Nikolai Polozov. 

At this time, Ivan Yatskin is in a cell with another person. They have “normal” relationships, according to Polozov. 

“Such actions of administration need to receive a response. They allowed a visit of a person who has no authorization. I have taken some steps. We will see what kind of reaction there will be,” – added Polozov. 

Polozov also informed that Yatskin’s health is in decent condition. The detention center’s administration provided him with some medicine that had been sent to him by his relatives a long time ago. 

As we informed earlier, a Crimea Ivan Yatskin has been detained on October 16th, 2019, in the occupied Crimea. FSB accuses him of committing a crime under article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code (high treason). 

According to the prosecution, Ivan Yatskin had allegedly committed high treason in the form of espionage in favor of the Ukrainian Security Service.