Russia’s FSB concocts charges two years after abducting Elvira Abliazova and holding her in total isolation

Russia has formally charged a Crimean Tatar woman Elvira Abliazova and her neighbour Larysa Haidai with ‘treason’ two years after abducting them and a third woman, Tetiana Pavlenko (Symonenko) from their homes in occupied Crimea.  It seems that the FSB even have their own jargon for their process of turning enforced disappearance, very often accompanied by torture, into purportedly legal detention and official charges.  They call it ‘defrosting’. 

It is hardly surprising that the FSB have come up with their own terms given the chilling regularity with which they abduct men and women, sometimes whole families, and hold them in total isolation, without any procedural status.  It is a terrifying time for relatives and close friends as the person simply ‘disappears’, with the FSB typically claiming to have no idea of their whereabouts.  Even where the person is not subjected to physical torture, they are held in total isolation and in appalling conditions. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these abductions have become common practice for the FSB.  The latter in occupied Crimea were essentially always confident of near total impunity and now have no reason to even fear undue publicity, as they invariably charge people with ‘treason’ or ‘spying’, with this making it possible to hold the supposed ‘trial’ and sentencing behind closed doors.

In this case, the Crimean Tatar Research Centre [CTRC] did, at least, find out in early August 2025 that the three women were being held in SIZO No. 2.   This is one of two remand prisons which Russia opened in occupied Crimea in 2022.  SIZO No. 2 appears to be used only for political prisoners and civilians abducted and held incommunicado without any status.  It is believed to be under the control of the abductors, i.e. Russia’s FSB.  CTRC reported then that Larysa Haidai had been abducted on 27 March 2024, with Elvira Abliazova (b. 13.08.1982) (whom they called Aboiazova) and Tetiana Pavlenko (Symonenko) (b. 24.10.1963) seized the following day.   They had learned of their disappearance back in 2024 but had only now been able to confirm their whereabouts.  There remained no information at all with regard to why they were imprisoned. 

In a sense that remains the case to this day since there is still nothing to indicate why Elvira Abliazova and Larysa Haidai have been charged with ‘treason’, under Article 275 of Russia’s criminal code.  It is also disturbing that nothing is known about Tetiana Pavlenko.  The Memorial Support for Political Prisoners Project has placed all three women on their list of ‘other victims’ of what is almost certainly politically motivated persecution’. 

There would be no reason to hold people incommunicado, without any charges having been laid, for two years were they suspected of a real crime.  The FSB use such methods to torture, coerce or terrorize people held in total isolation, without real lawyers, into signing ‘confessions’ and to fabricate ‘evidence’.  The lawlessness is near absolute, since convictions are guaranteed, after ‘trials’ that have nothing in common with rule of law. 

Russia is increasingly targeting women, and grabbing people regardless of their age, state of health or number of children.  They are also coming for multiple members of the same family, with at least one nine-year-old taken into care after his parents - Natalia Poliukh (b. 1975) and Oleh Platonov (b. 1963) were seized on 9 April 2025.  Oleksandra Strilets and her mother, Victoria, both received 12-year sentences on such mystery ‘treason’ charges although Oleksandra has two small daughters, one of whom was in intensive care when her mother was taken into custody.  The brutality against Victoria Strilets who has multiple sclerosis also defies belief.

See also:

Serhiy Hrishchenkov

Chilling denial, despite videoed evidence, of Russia’s abduction of Sevastopol IT analyst Serhiy Hrishchenkov

Nina Tymoshenko

Brutal 16-year sentence against 67-year-old Crimean pensioner for being from Western Ukraine

Oleksandra and Victoria Strilets

Brutal 12-year ‘treason’ sentences against Crimean woman with MS and her daughter, seized while her baby was in intensive care

Tetiana Maliar, her brother Valentyn Maliar; her son Anatoliy Rossikhin and daughter Olha Behei 

Entire Ukrainian family seized in latest Russian terror in occupied Crimea

Niyara Ersmambetova

Abducted Crimean Tatar mother of two sentenced to 15 years on Russia's cynical ‘treason’ charges

Lera Dzhemilova   

Russia sentences young Crimean woman to 15 years after abducting and holding her incommunicado for ten months

Anatoliy Kobzar

From enforced disappearance to imprisonment: Anatoliy Kobzar found after 19 months of Russian lies

Ismail Shemshedinov

Abducted Crimean Tatar father sentenced to 13 years for 'anti-Russian posts' and opposing Russia’s war against Ukraine

Tamara Chernukha

Russian FSB holds abducted 62-year-old Crimean woman incommunicado for almost four months without vital medication

Ruslan Mambetov  Crimean Tatar sentenced to 18 years in Russian secret ‘trial’ where only torture is near certain

Roman Hryhorian  Ukrainian seized in Crimea and sentenced to 12 years for donations to Ukraine's defenders

Oksana Senedzhuk  Russia rubberstamps 15-year ‘treason’ sentence against 58-year-old Crimean activist Oksana Senedzhuk

Liudmyla Kolesnikova  Russian FSB abduct Ukrainian from her mother’s funeral in occupied Crimea

Serhiy Lykhomanov

Russia sentences abducted Crimean to 15 years in second secret ‘trial’ on same absurd charges