Today we are sharing the story of the artist and activist Bohdan Ziza, who was unlawfully sentenced to 15 years in prison on fabricated charges of “terrorism” and “vandalism for political motives” by the occupiers. In May 2022, Bohdan, at the age of only 27, poured blue and yellow paint on the building of the occupation administration in Yevpatoriya in the middle of the night. This was a protest against the war and the crimes of the occupiers, which he filmed and edited on his laptop, but did not have the chance to upload.
Life before being detained
Bohdan worked as a barista in one of the Crimean cafes. He was passionate about photography and videography, studied 3D modelling, engaged in sports, and went on hiking trips. From a young age, he was involved in street art, practicing parkour, painting, writing poetry, developing his YouTube blog, and exploring Crimea.
Almost all of Bohdan’s childhood and youth were shaped by his grandmother. When he grew up, he took care of her and helped her with various tasks. Even behind the bars of occupation, he remembered his dearest person, saying: “I regret that my grandmother is now left without the care she needs. Besides me, she has no one else. I regret that I cannot help my loved ones who need it now.”
Since the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, Ziza has tried to distance himself as much as possible and abstract himself from all illegal occupation structures. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he planned to leave the occupied Crimean Peninsula. At the same time, he monitored the criminal actions of the occupiers and opposed the amendments to the Russian Constitution in 2020. A day before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ziza recorded and published his own anti-war poem on camera because, despite the pressure and propaganda of the occupiers, he always supported Ukraine and condemned Russia’s unlawful actions. However, Bohdan’s emotional state significantly deteriorated after the publication of the consequences of the atrocities of Russian aggression in the Kyiv region, which likely became the key impetus for him to carry out a protest action against Russian aggression.
What did the occupiers come up with?
He was unlawfully accused of alleged “terrorism” and charged with 4 articles of the Russian Criminal Code: Article 205, part 1 “committed terrorist act”, Article 205, part 1 “threat of committing a terrorist act”, Article 205.2, part 2 “call for terrorism” and Article 214, part 2 “vandalism for political reasons”.
This is the result of a protest action that the occupiers perceived as a “terrorist act,” after which they detained the young man on the same day based on a report from the propaganda blogger Talipov, who posted a video of the action taken from an unknown source. Soon after, the occupiers released the so-called “video apology” from Ziza, filmed after the beating and torture of the young man. This video was also used to fabricate the “case” against him. Close friends and relatives of Bohdan believe that he was subjected to torture and threats, which led to the recording of the so-called “apology video” published in the occupiers’ media.
Since Bohdan’s disappearance, his friends and human rights activists have been trying to find him for several days, but there was no information on the arrest or consideration of the case against him on the information resources of the occupation “law enforcement agencies,” and it was unknown for a long time where the artist was located.
Later it was revealed that on May 18, there was a hearing in the occupation “court” of the city of Yevpatoriya regarding Bohdan’s administrative “case”. Bohdan’s grandmother was not allowed to attend the occupation “court” hearing and she received no information about the condition or whereabouts of her grandson. However, it is known from open sources that the so-called “court” considered the “case” against Bohdan under a commonly used article among the occupation “authorities” regarding “discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation.” After this, on May 20, he was presumably transferred to the Simferopol pre-trial detention center, which led to suspicion that he might also face criminal charges in addition to the administrative one. However, no information about the reasons for Bohdan’s further detention was provided to his grandmother at that time.
Why was Bohdan Ziza really detained?
After more than 8 years of occupation, Bohdan Ziza remained under the influence of the total propaganda of the occupying regime, but he did not break and remained faithful to his state, taking care of his grandmother who raised him from childhood. However, after the liberation of the Kyiv region and the disclosure of the truth about the crimes of the occupation army in the mainland territory of Ukraine, he could no longer stay silent. His action was a response against the war and the illegal occupation of Crimea by Russian forces in 2014. By splashing yellow and blue paint on the doors and facade of the occupied “administration” building in Yevpatoriya and throwing a lit alcohol-oil mixture into the building, Bohdan expressed his resistance to the criminal actions of the occupiers. He could no longer stay silent. Dressed in all black, with a mask on his face, before carrying out the action, he also filmed a video calling on fellow citizens to protest against the war and take to the streets. He openly declared his goal to break the silence and express protest against the Russian occupation regime and full-scale war.
Where is Bohdan Ziza now?
Initially, the young man was held by the occupiers in the Simferopol detention center. On June 6, 2023, a “court” in Russian Rostov-on-Don illegally sentenced Ziza. Following an appeal, the “court” upheld the verdict of 15 years in prison, and the young man was sent to the next stage of detention. In June 2023, Bohdan announced a hunger strike, demanding the revocation of the Russian citizenship imposed on him by the occupiers and the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners from Russian detention, as well as their return to Ukraine.
Then, in January 2023, it became known that after a lengthy stage, the activist was transferred to Prison No. 2 (T-2), the so-called “Vladimir Central,” located in the Russian city of Vladimir.
Bohdan Ziza about Ukraine
In his illegal detention, Bohdan continued to speak up in support of Ukraine and wrote letters about it. In his last speech at the trial, the political prisoner went on a hunger strike and called for the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russia. Bohdan Ziza’s last speech from the illegal trial stated:
“The war that’s raging now is often seen as something distant for many. Here lies Russia’s problem. For you, the war is just minor inconveniences that you try to endure, living your normal life, avoiding bad news. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, millions of people are losing their homes, losing loved ones, entire cities are being destroyed. Every single day. In theory, one could attribute the inaction of Russians, if everything that happens were not done by the hands of Russians themselves. By the hands of those who wield weapons and those who do nothing to stop what is happening.”
Bohdan also spoke about the situation with political prisoners who are being abused by the Russians:
“People in Russian prisons are beaten for speaking Ukrainian. Not even for using it, but simply for understanding it. The scumbags from the administration of the pre-trial detention centers and other places where our people are held speak to the prisoners in Ukrainian, provoking them to react, encouraging them to respond or do something, and if a person reacts, they get beaten. Those who diligently search for Nazis in Ukraine have failed to see how Nazism has developed in Russia with this ephemeral “Russian world”, with which armed people came to us, trying to erase Ukrainian identity. People in detention suffer in terrible conditions. Many of them are elderly. Over 40 people have critical health problems. They are not provided with proper medical care. People die in detention. And I am not a terrorist, but a person of morals and principles, who would rather give my life than take someone else’s. But even my own life, I am not ready to give to the system of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation.”
“My Mother is alive as never before, my Mother is immortal. My Mother is Ukraine! And I am writing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Crimeans: dear Mother, take us back, we want to be in Your loving embrace!” – these are the touching lines written by Bohdan Ziza in his letter from illegal detention in August 2022 – on the Independence Day of Ukraine.
But despite the pressure from Russia and the terrible conditions of his detention, Bohdan remained unbroken and continues to be an example of resilience for all Ukrainians. His name, like the name of everyone who resisted, risked their lives and freedom, but remained faithful to their country, will be preserved in the pages of books. Everyone is different, but everyone is united by their will and strong spirit. Everyone has their own story, but everyone stands on the same battlefield that separates the freedom of our people from absolute evil.