After a prolonged and unlawful imprisonment, Crimean Tatar political prisoner Aziz Faizullaiev has been released. The Russian occupation administration sentenced Faizullaiev on fabricated charges of allegedly setting fire to the village council building in Pushkine, Feodosiia district, in temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to a human rights organization, a correspondent who had been in contact with Faizullaiev through letters reported that in early January, he sent him a letter, which Penal Colony No. 2 in Kerch returned with the note: “Released.” However, his current whereabouts remain unknown, and human rights defenders have not provided further details.

On June 7, 2022, Russian occupation forces conducted an illegal search of Aziz Faizullaiev’s home, after which he was detained and taken to a pre-trial detention center. Shortly after, occupation media published a video in which Faizullaiev allegedly gave a “sincere confession,” claiming he had made two Molotov cocktails and set fire to the building of the occupation-controlled Pushkine Village Council after breaking a window. On October 26, the occupation “court” in Ichki sentenced him to three years in prison in a politically motivated case.

Human rights organizations and the international community repeatedly condemned his prosecution as politically motivated and a violation of human rights.

Aziz Faizullaiev’s release was made possible through the joint efforts of Ukrainian authorities, human rights organizations, and the international community. The Mission of the President of Ukraine in Crimea consistently advocated for his release, issuing multiple statements demanding an end to his unlawful imprisonment.