German politician Turgut Yüksel became godfather of political prisoner Rustem Gugurik – CTRC

February 13, 2025
The CTRC has learned that German politician Turgut Yüksel, having familiarized himself with the case of illegal persecution of Ukrainian citizen Rustem Gugurik in Russia, emphasized his support for the man and decided to become a godfather for the political prisoner within the framework of the international campaign “Atalik” (“Godfather”).

The international movement for the deoccupation of Crimea and solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people #LIBERATECRIMEA launched the campaign “MP, help the Kremlin’s political prisoners” as part of the international campaign “Atalik” (“Godfather”), in which it called on Ukrainian and international MPs to take patronage of Crimeans who were arrested or persecuted by the Russian occupiers.

Under the conditions of “crooked justice” in the occupied territory, no one is protected, there is no possibility to have a normal lawyer, and moreover, a person can be blamed for anything, absolutely, even if he or she had nothing to do with it.

Unfortunately, the repression affects not only Rustem, but also other members of the same family. Already two brothers, Rustem and Bekir Gugurik, have been imprisoned.

Under conditions when the legislation of the Russian Federation in the occupied territory allows to impose charges even without real evidence, political support from international figures is of particular importance. Turgut Yüksel, as a representative of German politics, took up the case of Rustem Gugurik, demonstrating solidarity with the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities and calling for the prosecution of those who create this lawlessness.

We would like to remind that on March 31, 2022, the occupiers arrested Rustem Gugurik, a resident of Novooleksiyivka, and accused him of participating in the Noman Chelebidzhikhan volunteer battalion. And on October 26, 2022, the occupiers sentenced the man to 8.5 years in a strict regime colony.

The CTRC once again calls on MPs to join our campaign “MP, help the Kremlin’s political prisoners”, where every representative of the authorities can take a political prisoner of Crimea under their personal protection!