Today, we share the story of Rustem Huhurik, a Crimean Tatar who was unlawfully sentenced to 8.5 years in a maximum-security penal colony.

Life before the detention 

Rustem Seidaliievych Huhurik was born on November 30, 1971.

He lived in the village of Novooleksiivka in the Kherson region and worked as a taxi driver, helping people travel from non-occupied territories to Crimea.

In 2016, he and his brother Bekir received notifications of a ban prohibiting their entry into occupied Crimea until 2021.

What did the occupiers come up with?

On March 27, 2022, Rustem, along with his wife and six-year-old daughter, left Novooleksiivka in the Kherson region, attempting to take his family to relatives in Bakhchysarai to escape the Russian invasion. At the Chonhar checkpoint, occupation forces detained him, accusing him of involvement in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion, which Russia has declared an illegal armed group.

“At first, we were detained for two days, but we spent 58 hours there without food. Then, right in front of our child, they took her father away. She burst into tears. We were told he was being detained for clarification of the circumstances. When I asked why they were taking my husband, they responded, ‘There must be a reason,’” shared Victoriia, the political prisoner’s wife.

On March 31, 2022, the occupation “court” in Simferopol arrested Rustem. By October 26, 2022, he was sentenced to 8.5 years in a maximum-security penal colony.

Why was Rustem Huhurik actually detained?

Like many other Crimean Tatars, Rustem Huhurik became a target of persecution by the occupation administration due to his ethnic background and national identity. He steadfastly refused to accept Russian citizenship, emphasizing his loyalty to Ukraine. His detention is part of a broader campaign of repression against the Crimean Tatar people, orchestrated by the occupation regime to suppress any form of resistance or dissent. The charges against him are based on dubious evidence and the testimonies of anonymous witnesses, a practice characteristic of the occupiers’ repressive system.

Where is Rustem Huhurik now? 

Following his unlawful detention, Rustem’s health has rapidly deteriorated, and his transfer to a maximum-security penal colony in Buriatiia has further worsened his condition.

He suffers from shortness of breath, heart disease, kidney issues, and otitis, which causes severe pain and hearing loss. Despite numerous complaints, the occupation administration denies him adequate medical care. The medications he is offered lack proper labeling or instructions, forcing Rustem to refuse them out of fear for his life, which only exacerbates his condition.

In 2024 alone, the colony administration unlawfully placed him in solitary confinement multiple times, further straining his already fragile health.