Crimean Tatars repressed by Russia: Occupiers hold Ukrainians in secret illegal places

Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov (GettyImages)

Russian occupiers are organizing massive repression and unlawful detentions of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Crimea and the territory of the Kherson region, according to Refat Chubarov, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

Chubarov alleges that in addition to official detention facilities, Russians are holding dozens of people in secret illegal locations, such as in Chonhar in the Kherson region. Detainees are reportedly subjected to torture and coerced into providing testimony required by the FSB.

He said that in the first quarter of 2024 alone, 33 searches and 41 detentions were conducted in Crimea. Among those detained, 18 are Crimean Tatars, indicating targeted repression against the indigenous people of the peninsula.

Chubarov emphasized that due to the existence of such secret prisons, individuals could simply disappear without a trace. The fate of many detainees remains unknown.

Russia’s repression in Crimea

Recently, Russian occupiers have intensified terror and repression against Crimean Tatars and residents of Crimea. Earlier, ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that Russia unlawfully holds 180 political prisoners, the majority of whom are Crimean Tatars.

The Center for National Resistance has also reported that in Crimea, Russians are conducting so-called “counter-sabotage measures” targeting residents who are disloyal to the Russian authorities.

Russian occupiers also regularly conduct large-scale searches in Bakhchysarai and the Bakhchysarai district of occupied Crimea, searching the homes of Crimean Tatars.