Over 50 women held in Crimean detention centers, says human rights activist
Over 50 women have been held in Crimean detention centers. Most of the cases show signs of persecution on ethnic, political, or religious grounds, and the number of “cases involving women” has risen sharply since 2022.
According to Ukrinform, Crimean human rights activist and journalist Luftiye Zudieva reported this on Facebook.
"More than 50 women have already been held in Crimean detention centers—I think the actual number is higher, but I am basing this on known facts. Of the cases currently known, 29 women are accused of treason, another 8 of espionage, 5 of terrorist activities, and the rest under other charges. At the same time, most of them have never had a criminal record," she wrote.
According to the human rights activist, the cases bear signs of persecution on ethnic, political, or religious grounds.
There are also other cases where there is a motive, actual actions, and participation in specific events, but even then, a political context is clearly evident, she added.
The human rights activist asserts that access to the materials of such cases is increasingly being denied to journalists and human rights defenders, making it significantly more difficult to verify the prosecution’s version of events.
Zudieva noted that in the region, such cases have long been part of a widespread practice of pressure and intimidation—regardless of gender. However, the number of “women’s cases” has increased significantly since 2022.
Ukrinform previously reported that, according to the Crimean Human Rights Group, at least 64 women from Crimea and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are currently being held in detention facilities in Crimea and the Russian Federation. Throughout 2025, verdicts were handed down in politically motivated cases involving at least 13 women from Crimea.
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