Tetiana Omelchenko is a political prisoner
A citizen of both Ukraine and Russia has been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony on a charge of treason for donating 15,000 roubles to the Ukrainian armed forces
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Tetiana Omelchenko a political prisoner. Omelchenko was convicted on a charge of treason for making donations to the Ukrainian armed forces. Omelchenko’s prosecution and conviction violated her right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Tetiana Omelchenko and that all criminal charges against her be dropped.
What were the charges against Tetiana Omelchenko?
Tetiana Omelchenko had lived in Crimea but moved to Kyiv in 2012, although she continued to visit relatives on the peninsula. In 2021, she obtained a Russian passport. After her husband’s death, Omelchenko raised her son alone. She worked as an accountant and was involved in charity work, helping sick children and homeless animals. In 2024, her brother died in Crimea, and she travelled there to attend his funeral.
On 25 September 2024, Omelchenko was detained at Sheremetyevo airport and subjected to a series of short-term jail terms – at least three in a row – on administrative-law charges of petty hooliganism. Security forces found 16 bank transfers on her mobile phone with comments such as ‘Medicine for Bakhmut,’ ‘For a rifle,’ etc., totalling 15,000 roubles. Tetiana Omelchenko was charged with ‘treason in the form of financing a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation’ (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). On 26 November 2024, Omelchenko was remanded in custody.
At her trial, Tetiana Omelchenko asked for a postponement of her sentence until her child reached the age of majority. However, on 1 October 2025 she was sentenced to 12 years in a general regime penal colony and a fine of 400,000 roubles.
Why do we consider Tetiana Omelchenko a political prisoner?
The criminal prosecution of Tetiana Omelchenko was unfounded and politically motivated. In international law, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal; donations to the Ukrainian armed forces cannot therefore be considered a crime. Assistance provided to Ukraine is to enable that country to repel military aggression, not to harm Russia’s security. Russia’s security is threatened by the war unleashed by the Russian authorities.
For a Ukrainian citizen, supporting her country in defending itself against Russian aggression is understandable, and her prosecution on a charge of treason is particularly outrageous. Although Tetiana Omelchenko also has Russian citizenship, she has lived in Ukraine since her birth. As a resident of Kyiv, she fully experienced the dangers and hardships caused by Russian aggression. Her desire to help her country and protect her loved ones and fellow citizens is wholly natural, and there is no criminal offence in her actions.
It is outrageous that such a harsh sentence should be handed down to a woman who is raising a child on her own. Moreover, it is suspected Omelchenko may be suffering from cancer, and she is not receiving competent medical care.
A detailed description of Tetiana Omelchenko’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Tetiana Omelchenko at the following address:
RU:
156511, Костромская область, Костромской р-н, п. Прибрежный, ул. Мира, д. 1, ФКУ ИК-3 УФСИН России по Костромской области, Омельченко Татьяна Николаевна, 1975 г. р.
EN:
Tetiana Mykolayivna Omelchenko (born 1975), Penal Colony No. 3, Federal Penitentiary service for Kostroma Oblast, 1 Mira Street, Pribrezhny, Kostromskoy district, Kostroma Oblast, 156511, Russia.
You can also send emails via F-Pismo (for payment with Russian bank cards), ZT (for payment with all bank cards), and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
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