Nearly 100 Crimean political prisoners in urgent need of medical care – ZMINA Human Rights Center

This was reported by Viktoria Nesterenko, project manager at the ZMINA Human Rights Center, according to Ukrinform.

Nesterenko noted that compared to November 2024, the number of Kremlin prisoners has increased by 31, from 67 to 98 individuals.

Human rights defenders stress that the main problem faced by Kremlin prisoners behind bars is the systematic denial of medical care, including to persons with disabilities, elderly citizens, those with chronic illnesses, and those who suffered torture and developed serious conditions due to poor detention conditions.

According to human rights groups, the Russian penitentiary system is either incapable of providing proper medical care and services or deliberately withholds them in the case of Ukrainian political prisoners.

Together with partners, ZMINA has compiled the Gafarov–Shyring List, which gathers data on political prisoners for whom there is confirmed evidence of being denied medical treatment. The list grows each year.

In March 2025, Crimean Tatar prisoner Rustem Viratti died in a prison in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region of Russia. The occupiers accused him of involvement in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion.

Viratti was held in captivity for two years, during which his health steadily deteriorated and his rights were constantly violated, ultimately leading to his death.

As of August 2025, only one person has been removed from the list: Nariman Dzhelyal, Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, now serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to Türkiye.

Human rights defenders emphasize that the only way to save those prisoners whose condition is already near critical is to bring them home.

As reported, a total of 277 Crimean political prisoners are currently held in Russian prisons, 157 of them representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.