MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine

The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Similar articles

Ukrainian could face 3-year sentence for daubing paint on monument to Russian invaders of CrimeaOdesa student imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea for pro-Ukraine leaflets Defender of Crimean Tatar political prisoners gets 6 years for posts spelling out Russia's war crimes in UkraineDefender of Crimean Tatar political prisoners faces 7-year sentence for posts against Russia’s war against UkraineRussia’s first Ukrainian political prisoner: ‘Russians know no limits in their use of torture’Four Crimeans sentenced in FSB remake of Russia's first Ukrainian show trial against Oleh Sentsov Russia uses Kherson ‘evacuation’ for enforced disappearance of more Ukrainian hostages and POWs Russian atrocities at Bucha may be nothing to those that will be found when Kherson is liberated Internal fight against ‘ZEvil’ – digest of Russian protestsRussian activist faces ‘terrorism’ charges for defending Crimean Tatar political prisoners Shevchenko and Russia’s first Ukrainian political prisoner in occupied Crimea Kremlin’s proxy ‘republics’ launch mass ‘Russian Donbas’ propaganda campaign Application practice of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of UkraineECHR issues crucial judgement against Russia over secret witnesses used to jail Crimean Tatar political prisonersPolitical prisoners deported to Russia speak out on anniversary of Crimean Tatar DeportationBack in the USSR: Russia stops ex-dissident from leaving occupied Crimea after threatening punitive psychiatryRussia resorts to punitive psychiatry against tortured Crimean Tatar rights activistUkrainian marathon swimmer threatened with punitive psychiatry in Russian-occupied CrimeaRussia’s first Ukrainian political prisoner was supposed to dieCrimean Tatar activist confirms he gave absurd ‘confessions’ under torture

22-year-old Odesa geologist seized in Russian-occupied Crimea for pro-Ukrainian leaflets

25.09.2020   
Halya Coynash
One of two young men seized by the Russian FSB in occupied Crimea between 19 and 22 September has been informally identified as 22-year-old Oleksandr Dolzhenkov from Odesa’

One of two young men seized by the Russian FSB in occupied Crimea between 19 and 22 September has been informally identified as 22-year-old Oleksandr Dolzhenkov from Odesa.  There is as yet no information about the 28-year-old from Yevpatoria whose arrest was announced at the same time.  The FSB report mentioned only the men’s names, and that the 22-year-old had been arrested  for circulating pro-Ukrainian leaflets, with the FSB claiming this to be ‘calls to action aimed at violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.’  The 28-year-old from Yevpatoria is also claimed to have threatened to blow up administrative buildings on social media.

Krym.Realii reports that Dolzhenkov is a graduate from the Geology Faculty of Odesa National University.  He also runs a YouTube channel under his name Александр Долженков with video blogs on travels around Ukraine and some other European countries. There is no official confirmation that Dolzhenkov is the person arrested, and Krym.Reallii is waiting to hear from the young man’s family.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor for Crimea and Sevastopol reported on 25 September that it has initiated criminal proceedings against the FSB over their illegal detention of the young man.  Although they do not name him, he is identified as being from the Odesa oblast, and is said to have been seized in Yevpatoria.

The video of the 22-year-old’s arrest focuses solely on what look like innocuous pro-Ukrainian leaflets, entitled ‘Resistance in Crimea’.  As is often the case, the FSB made public information three days after the young man’s arrest on 19 September.  Had there been any calls in the leaflets to violent resistance, etc., it is  most unlikely that he would be only facing a charge under Article 280.1 of Russia’s criminal code (the so-called ‘calls to action aimed at violating Russia’s territorial integrity.’).  280.1 appeared in Russian legislation shortly after the invasion and annexation of Crimea and has, as feared, been used to persecute Ukrainians and some Russian citizens for saying, in full agreement with the international community, that Crimea is Ukrainian territory which Russia is illegally occupying.

The FSB assert that the younger man, who is probably Dolzhenkov, came to Crimea “to look for accomplices in order to destabilize the socio-political situation in the region. In September 2020, the Ukrainian circulated leaflets containing  calls to action aimed at violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation in Crimean citizens. After this, on 19 September, he was detained by FSB officers.

At the place he was staying leaflets of an extremist content were discovered and removed, together with the means of communication with the help of which unlawful actions were carried out.”  The young man has been remanded in custody.

On 21 September, the FSB also arrested somebody whom they identify as a Russian citizen “involved in the public justification and propaganda of terrorism and extremism.”  Everything, from the shouts as three FSB men stormed in was designed to create the impression that the 28-year-old, initially seen on the video only in shorts / underwear, is a dangerous criminal. It is asserted that “the Yevpatoria resident, using his page in a social network, sharing and supporting the activities of Ukrainian national groups, posted material with threats to carry out explosions of administrative buildings in Crimea.  The individual is also involved in circulating agitation leaflets of an extremist nature.”

The FSB assert that they found and removed components of explosive devices , items that look like firearms and bullets and extremist leaflets.  There was nothing to indicate that there were independent witnesses present when the armed and masked FSB men allegedly made their ‘find’.

Russia has made it all but impossible for Crimeans to not take Russian citizenship, and the 28-year-old is, doubtless, a Ukrainian also. He too has been remanded in custody and is facing three charges under Article 205.2 § 1; Article 280 § 1 and 280.1  - ‘public calls to carry out terrorist activities; public calls to extremist activity and the same calls to action aimed at violating Russia’s territorial integrity.’

 

 Share this