A Russian court sentenced a kidnapped Crimean Tatar woman to 17 years in prison
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Crimean Tatar Khatidze Buyukhchan to 17 years in a general-regime penal colony. She was abducted in occupied Crimea in May 2025 and later charged with treason and plotting a terrorist attack. In addition to the prison sentence, the court fined her 400,000 rubles and sentenced her to an additional one and a half years of restricted freedom.
The Russian court found Buyukhchan guilty under several charges related to treason, preparing a terrorist attack, and the illegal possession and transportation of explosives. At the same time, the charges are based on the version of events presented by the Russian investigation. There is no independent confirmation of these allegations in the information provided.
What the Russians Accuse Khatidze Buyukhchan Of
According to the Russian investigation, between May and July 2024, Buyukhchan, while in Ukraine, began cooperating with the Security Service of Ukraine. In April 2025, according to the prosecution, she was tasked with locating the vehicle of the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Naval Assault Aviation Regiment.
The Russian side claims that after that, the woman traveled to the residence of Russian military personnel in Crimea. There, she allegedly purchased components online to manufacture a homemade explosive device. The investigation also alleges that on May 5, 2025, Buyukhchan purchased explosives, an explosive device, and equipment for remote detonation. It was these actions that formed the basis of the charges on which the Russian court handed down its verdict.
Human rights activists have cited violations of international law
The “Crimean Process” initiative drew attention not only to the charges against Buyukhchan but also to the location where her case was heard. The woman is a resident of occupied Kerch, yet she was tried in Rostov-on-Don, on Russian territory. Human rights activists emphasize that trying a resident of an occupied territory in a Russian court violates the requirements of international humanitarian law.
The identity of Judge Kirill Kryvtsov, who participated in the trial, also raised questions among the initiative’s members. According to human rights activists, he had previously sentenced an abducted resident of Nova Kakhovka to life in prison.
How Khatidze Buyukhchan Was Abducted
Khatidze Buyukhchan disappeared on May 6, 2025. That day, she boarded a bus traveling from Stary Krym to Simferopol but never reached her destination. A few days later, her relatives learned that she was being held at the FSB office in Simferopol. They tried to arrange legal assistance for her, but the lawyer requested by the family was not allowed to meet with her.
Buyukhchan’s detention was not officially documented until May 13. In other words, nearly a week passed between the time of her disappearance and the official documentation of her detention. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center described the actions of Russian security forces against the 24-year-old woman as yet another example of unlawful detention. The center also stated that such cases may be intended to intimidate young people in occupied Crimea.
Khatidze Buyukhchan is now sentenced to 17 years in a Russian general-regime penal colony. In addition, she was fined 400,000 rubles and sentenced to one and a half years of restricted freedom. The human rights initiative Crimean Process reported on the verdict.
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