In summer 2024, Russian occupation forces detained local resident Vladislav Afanasyev in the occupied Kefa (Feodosia). According to information received by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Vladislav is accused under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code – ‘High Treason’.
The reason for the arrest was that the guy took photos of Russian warships, which are illegally located on the territory of Crimea, and published these pictures in social networks.
During the interrogations Vladislav was subjected to moral pressure, forcing him to confess to actions that he had not even committed. Now he is held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Akmesdzhit (Simferopol).
It is known that Vladislav Afanasyev, born on 17 December 1993, lives in Kefe (Feodosia) with his mother, who is ill and has a disability. He also has a younger brother who is outside the peninsula. Vladislav graduated from the Faculty of History, and although his actions did not pose a security threat, the occupation authorities used the case for political persecution. He became yet another victim of a repressive system that uses false accusations to intimidate the local population and suppress pro-Ukrainian sentiment on the peninsula.
This story highlights the brutality of the Russian occupation authorities, who persecute citizens for any activity contrary to their control. Meanwhile, Vladislav’s mother is left without support as her son is detained due to false accusations.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center continues to record such human rights violations in the occupied Crimea and calls on the international community to pay attention to the fate of Vladislav Afanasyev and other victims of political repression on the peninsula.