All concerned citizens will be able to write a letter to illegally imprisoned Ukrainians who are being held by the occupation administrations in the occupied Crimea or deported to the territory of the Russian Federation. The campaign will last from April 27 to May 27. During the month, the organizers – the Mission of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, PEN Ukraine and ZMINA – will collect letters and deliver them to the places of illegal detention of Crimean political prisoners.
The purpose of the Letters to a Free Crimea initiative is to remind about the Ukrainian prisoners of the Kremlin, to demonstrate that they are interested in and cared about.
A large number of letters is also an important message for prison administrations that a person cannot be injured or killed, because it will immediately become known to the public, so the organizers urge as many people as possible to join the campaign.
Letters can be addressed to the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelal, civilian journalist Iryna Danilovych, athlete Uzeyir Abdullayev and other Crimean political prisoners, whose names can be found below.
“These are someone’s husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They are someone’s close friends. Two of mine – Nariman Dzhelial and Server Mustafayev – received almost maximum sentences on falsified charges. They are worthy sons of their people, talented journalists, good and honest people,” emphasizes the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the AR of Crimea Tamila Tasheva.
Each of the political prisoners continues to support Ukraine, even in the inhumane conditions of pre-trial detention centers or colonies. And now we can support them. With a word, a joke, a news story, a conversation about everything simple and everything complex.
“It is important that all Crimean political prisoners are released as soon as possible, because every day in a Russian prison is a great risk to life and health. To do this, it is necessary to continue to draw attention to those illegally detained in Russian prisons. Also, letters to political prisoners are a fight against the information vacuum in which Ukrainian prisoners are held. This is a great support for them,” says Maksym Sytnikov, Deputy Executive Director of PEN Ukraine.
The Ukrainian peninsula remains in the heart of every Crimean political prisoner, even if they are now in the most remote part of Russia. Despite the bars that restrain the bodies of illegally imprisoned Ukrainians, their souls and hearts are free. That is why all these letters will go to a free Crimea, to each of the Crimean political prisoners.
“More than one and a half hundred of our fellow citizens are imprisoned in the occupied Crimea or in Russia in politically motivated cases, most of them are Crimean Tatars. People are being persecuted because of their journalistic or civic activities, their position in support of Ukraine, their religious views or anti-war protests. After February 24, 2022, Russia significantly increased persecution and pressure in Crimea, but even before the full-scale invasion, 120 Kremlin prisoners were behind bars, some of them (such as Valentyn Vygivskyi or Viktor Shur) have been imprisoned since 2014. It is important for all of these people to know that Ukraine has not forgotten about them and is fighting for their release,” says Tetyana Pechonchyk, head of the ZMINA Human Rights Center.
Anyone who wants to take part in the initiative can send letters to a physical address or online from April 27 to May 27:
- Physical address (sending at the sender’s expense): Human Rights Information Center, PO Box B-539, Kyiv, 01001
- Email: [email protected]
Instructions for writing letters can be found here. When writing your letter, please indicate to which political prisoner you are addressing it. The list contains only those addressees whose location is known to us, which makes it possible to deliver the letters.
Organisers of the initiative:
- Mission of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
- PEN Ukraine
- Human Rights Center ZMINA
Additional information: Iryna Ivanchenko, 0997725667, [email protected]
List of political prisoners you can write to
- Abdulvapov Ametkhan
- Abdulgaziev Tofik
- Abdulganiev Eskender
- Abdulkadyrov Vladlen
- Abdullayev Zavur
- Abdullayev Izzet
- Abdullayev Teymur
- Abdullayev Uzeyir
- Abdurazakov Osman
- Abdurakhmanov Medzhit
- Abdurakhmanov Ruslan
- Abiltarov Rustem
- Ablyamitov Medzhit
- Abseitov Zevri
- Abkhairov Arsen
- Adilov Bilal
- Aivazov Raim
- Aliyev Muslim
- Aliev Renat
- Alimov Refat
- Ametov Enver
- Ametov Ernes
- Arifmemetov Osman
- Asanov Ayder
- Asanov Marlen (Suleyman)
- Akhtemov Aziz
- Akhtemov Asan
- Babych Oleksandr
- Bazarov Farhod
- Bekirov Akim
- Bekirov Jebbar
- Bekirov Eden
- Bekirov Inver
- Bekirov Ramzi
- Bektemirov Vadim
- Bessarabov Alexey
- Belyalov Memet
- Bogdanov Oleg
- Vygovsky Valentyn
- Gaziev Servet
- Gafarov Dilyaver
- Heidt Sergey
- Gerasimov Artem
- Golubev Andriy
- Golubev Dmitry
- Goldenberg Valeria
- Gorelikov Vladimir
- Gorobtsova Irina
- Gugurik Rustem
- Davydenko Konstantin
- Danilovich Iryna
- Dzhapparov Aider
- Dzhelial Nariman
- Dzhemadenov Emil
- Dovgopolova Galina
- Dolgopolov Dmitry
- Dudka Vladimir
- Emiruseinov Rustem
- Eyupov Azamat
- Yesypenko Vladyslav
- Zhuk Yaroslav
- Zhukov Yevhen
- Pavlo Zaporozhets
- Zarivnyi Oleksandr
- Zakharov Dmitry
- Zakhtei Andrii
- Zeytullaev Ruslan
- Zekiryaev Lehman
- Zekiryaev Server
- Ziza Bogdan
- Ziyadinov Emil
- Ibragimov Ernest
- Ibragimov Ismet
- Ibragimov Timur
- Ibraimov Arsen
- Izetov Riza
- Ismailov Rustem
- Kabakov Sergey
- Kadyrov Edem
- Kayov Yuriy
- Calatayud Mariano Garcia
- Kantemirov Eldar
- Karakashev Yevhen
- Karimov Alim
- Kashuk Denis
- Kiselev Alexey
- Kovalskyi Serhii
- Kozlov Ivan
- Kolomiets Andriy
- Krosh Ekrem
- Krosh Enver
- Kuku Emir-Usein
- Kurtamet Appaz
- Lemeshko Gennady
- Doll Denis
- Maladika Volodymyr
- Mambetov Khalil
- Mamutov Aidyn
- Mamutov Enver
- Masharipov Yunus
- Mezhmedinov Nariman
- Memetov Remzi
- Mesutov Ruslan
- Muedinov Yashar
- Murasov Rustem
- Muratov Zekirya
- Murtaza Seyran
- Mustafayev Marlen
- Mustafayev Murat
- Mustafayev Server
- Nagayev Ruslan
- Novatsky Alexander
- Omerov Enver
- Omerov Riza
- Osmanov Ansar
- Osmanov Erfan
- Osmanov Rustem
- Officers Sergey
- Parkhomenko Leonid
- Prikhodko Oleg
- Reznik Konstantin
- Ryazanov Vitaliy
- Saganji Fevzi
- Sakada Vladimir
- Saledinov Aider
- Saliev Seyran
- Seydaliev Nasrullah
- Seydametov Lenur
- Seidametov Refat
- Seitabdiev Seitveli
- Seitmemetov Rustem
- Seytosmanov Enver
- Seytosmanov Ernest
- Seytumerov Osman
- Seytumerov Seytumer
- Seitkhalilov Rustem
- Sizikov Oleksandr
- Siruk Vadym
- Smailov Edem
- Stashevskyi Viktor
- Amet Suleymanov
- Suleymanov Eskender
- Suleymanov Ruslan
- Sufyanov Alim
- Sukhonosova Anna
- Tairov Rustem
- Tarapon Alexander
- Temerianov Vilen
- Umerov Shaban
- Umerova Lenia
- Fevziev Raif
- Fedorov Oleg (Ali)
- Filatov Sergiy
- Khayredinov Seyran
- Khalilov Igor
- Khalilov Lenur
- Tsyhypa Serhii
- Sheikhaliev Rustem
- Shiptur Mykola
- Shikhametov Yashar
- Schmidt Igor
- Shtyblikov Dmytro
- Yakymenko Volodymyr
- Timur Yalkabov
- Yanikov Asan
- Yatskin Ivan