Vitaly Ryazanov is a political prisoner
A Ukrainian citizen from Kherson Oblast has been sentenced to five years in a strict-regime penal colony on a charge of participating in the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Vitaly Ryazanov a political prisoner. Ryazanov was prosecuted and convicted on a charge of ‘participating in an illegal armed group in Ukraine, for purposes against Russia’s interests,’ for alleged membership in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar Battalion. Ryazanov’s prosecution violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Ryazanov, that all criminal charges against him be dropped, and that an investigation into the circumstances of his abduction and unlawful detention be conducted.
What were the charges against Vitaly Ryazanov?
Former Ukrainian army serviceman Vitaly Ryazanov was abducted by Russian soldiers on 4 September 2022 from his home in the village of Kalanchak in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast. For more than two months, his family did not know where he was. Unofficial reports suggest that he was held in a basement of a police station in the neighbouring village of Chaplynka.
According to official records, Ryazanov was only remanded in custody on 14 November 2022. The FSB claims he was detained at a checkpoint while travelling to Crimea because of his links with the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion.
Vitaly Ryazanov was charged with ‘participation in an armed group not recognised by Ukrainian law and operating against Russia’s interests’ (Article 208, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code). The investigative authorities claim he participated in the Battalion’s activities from December 2015 to November 2017, checking vehicles at the border between mainland Ukraine and Crimea. From 2017, Ryazanov served under contract in the Ukrainian armed forces but did not notify Russia that he had left the Battalion, and therefore, allegedly, his participation in the Battalion continued. Ryazanov confessed to the charges.
On 28 April 2023, a Russian-controlled court in Crimea convicted Vitaly Ryazanov and sentenced him to five years in a strict-regime penal colony. In July, the Supreme Court of Crimea increased the severity of the sentence, ruling that Ryazanov must spend the first year in a cell-type prison.
Why do we consider Ryazanov a political prisoner?
In our view, participation in the Çelebicihan Battalion does not constitute a criminal offence. The Battalion was formed in September 2015 after the leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people declared a civil blockade of Crimea. A few months later, the Ukrainian government made a similar decision. The Battalion did not engage in combat operations and was, in fact, an unarmed association—essentially a civil society organisation. Ryazanov carried out logistical and general-service tasks and served on the border.
In any case, the activities of the Çelebicihan Battalion cannot be deemed illegal. This is evidenced by their joint border patrols with the Ukrainian Border Guard Service. Moreover, it is not the actions of the Crimean Tatar organisation that contradict Russia’s interests; rather, it is Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories that does.
It is absurd that Vitaly Ryazanov was convicted for lawful activities—assisting Ukrainian border guards at a checkpoint in 2016–17. Moreover, there are doubts that he was actually a participant in the Battalion, as the only evidence provided was Ryazanov’s own confessions and witness statements, one of which is from a person who has made a number of similar witness statements, while the other two are classified. We are sceptical of the veracity of such testimonies and believe that Ryazanov may have been coerced into testifying against himself.
A detailed description of Vitaly Ryazanov’s case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.
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