World · Europe · 7 hrs ago
Ukrainian woman dies in Russian detention in occupied Crimea
Oleksandra Kazarovytska died in Russian custody in occupied Crimea, according to her colleagues.
The 44-year-old was from Kharkiv and had traveled to Sevastopol to help her parents sell their apartment.
Russian occupation authorities detained her after finding messages to a volunteer on her phone.
She spent three months in solitary confinement while awaiting trial, and authorities said she died by suicide.
Her case is part of a wider system holding Ukrainian civilians in detention centers in occupied Crimea and elsewhere.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman estimates Russia holds about 16,000 Ukrainian civilians in roughly 200 sites, and only a few hundred have returned.
Russia plans another detention center in Crimea by 2030, but the sources describe no functioning mechanism for civilians’ return.
Oleksandra Kazarovytska, a 44-year-old teacher and co-founder of a Kharkiv language school, died in Russian custody in occupied Crimea.
She had traveled to Sevastopol to help her parents sell their apartment and move to Turkey.
Russian authorities detained her after finding correspondence with a volunteer on her phone, according to the school.
She spent three months in solitary confinement awaiting trial.
Russian occupation authorities said she died by suicide on Oct. 25; her colleagues also attributed her death to Russian authorities.
- Who
- Oleksandra Kazarovytska, a 44-year-old teacher and co-founder of the Kharkiv language school Professional.
- What
- She died while held in Russian custody in occupied Crimea.
- When
- Russian occupation authorities said she died on Oct. 25. The school announced her death on Nov. 5.
- Where
- In occupied Crimea; journalists and human rights activists believe she died in one of two pretrial detention centers in Simferopol.
- Why
- Authorities detained her after finding correspondence with a volunteer on her phone, according to the school.
Oleksandra Kazarovytska's colleagues and school
Russian occupation authorities
Account of her death
Oleksandra Kazarovytska's colleagues and school
The school said Russia “killed” Kazarovytska, and colleagues described her death as a cruel loss.
Russian occupation authorities
Authorities attributed her death to suicide.
Kazarovytska traveled to Sevastopol to help her parents sell their apartment and move to Turkey.
Russian authorities detained her after finding correspondence with a volunteer, according to the school.
She was held in solitary confinement while awaiting trial.
Russian occupation authorities said Kazarovytska died by suicide.
Russian occupation authorities said she was buried in Sevastopol.
Her school announced that she had died in custody.
- Age
- 44
- Hometown
- Kharkiv, Ukraine
- Detention location
- Russian-occupied Crimea
- Last reported destination
- Sevastopol
- Time in solitary confinement
- Three months
- Burial
- Sevastopol, Nov. 4
3 sources
What people are saying
It is impossible to imagine that a young, talented, bright person was so cruelly torn from life
killed