{"id":62387,"date":"2025-11-07T14:52:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T11:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-valeriya-lizuna-i-dmitriya-pastashhuka\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T19:00:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T16:00:46","slug":"valerii-lyzun-and-dmytro-pastashchuk-are-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/valerii-lyzun-and-dmytro-pastashchuk-are-political-prisoners\/","title":{"rendered":"Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk are political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two Yalta residents have been sentenced to terms of five and six years in a penal colony for \u2018collusion with a foreign state\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with <\/strong>international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk political prisoners. Lyzun and Pastashchuk were convicted of \u2018collusion with a foreign state\u2019 for allegedly passing information about \u2018the situation on the peninsula\u2019 to a representative of the Ukrainian Security Service. Their criminal prosecution and conviction violated their right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Lyzun and Pastashchuk and that all criminal charges against them be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk and what were the charges against them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yalta residents Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk are Ukrainian citizens who obtained Russian citizenship after the annexation of the peninsula. FSB officers detained the two men on 26 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prosecution alleged that, after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Lyzun and Pastashchuk established contact with a representative of the Ukrainian Security Service and passed on information \u2018about the social, political, economic and military situation on the peninsula.\u2019 It was also alleged that they offered assistance in photographing and filming Russian military facilities and \u2018expressed their willingness\u2019 to carry out sabotage. However, there was no evidence of such information being passed on or of sabotage being prepared, and no such charges were brought against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June 2024, an occupation court in Crimea found Lyzun and Pastashchuk guilty of \u2018collusion with a foreign state\u2019 (Article 275.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Lyzun was sentenced to five years in a general regime penal colony and Pastashchuk to a term of six years. In addition, Pastashchuk was ordered to pay a fine of 500,000 roubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Lyzun and Pastashchuk lodged appeals, but the appeal and cassation courts upheld the sentences. In violation of the law, all court hearings, including the pronouncement of sentences, were held in camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk political prisoners?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The offence of \u2018collusion\u2019 was added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in July 2022. It has since become yet another tool used by the regime against so-called \u2018internal enemies.\u2019 The law\u2019s provisions fail to comply with the principle of legal certainty. In essence, the law criminalises any communication with foreigners, penalising not specific actions, but merely an alleged intention to \u2018facilitate\u2019 an undefined \u2018activity.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The criminal offence of \u2018collusion\u2019 should be rescinded, all related convictions quashed and ongoing prosecutions dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the FSB, the convicts passed on to Ukraine \u2018information about the social, political, economic and military situation on the peninsula.\u2019 Such vague wording could include virtually anything, for example information ranging from the prices in shops to the shooting down of drones over the peninsula. If the two Ukrainians had in fact transmitted photographs or videos of military facilities, or were preparing acts of sabotage, they would have been charged with other offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By using the offence of \u2018collusion,\u2019 the security forces intimidate the public and avoid the need to actually prove the guilt of the accused. The closed trial was clearly intended to hide all the shortcomings of the prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the prosecution of Ukrainian citizens for corresponding with Ukrainian official bodies in the occupied territory of their country seems particularly absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of the cases of Valerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk and of our position is available on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you help?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can write to Dmytro Pastashchuk at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RU:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

446394, \u0421\u0430\u043c\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c, \u041a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u043e\u044f\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440-\u043d, \u043f\u0433\u0442. \u0412\u043e\u043b\u0436\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439, \u0443\u043b. \u0417\u0430\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f, \u0434. 46, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-10 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0421\u0430\u043c\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u041f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0449\u0443\u043a \u0414\u043c\u0438\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0439 \u042f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1983 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dmytro Yaroslavovych Pastashchuk (born 1983), Penal Colony No. 10, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Samara Oblast, 46 Zavodskaya Street, Volzhsky, Krasnoyarsky district, Samara Oblast, 446394, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via ZT<\/a> (for payment with all bank cards) and Memorial-France<\/a> (free of charge).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have information about where Valerii Lyzun is serving his sentence, please email us at help.political.prisoners@memohrc.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-62387","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-crimea","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nValerii Lyzun and Dmytro Pastashchuk are political prisoners - Political prisoners support. 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