Vitalii Kryvoshlyk is a political prisoner
He has been sentenced to twelve and a half years in a strict regime penal colony on a charge of treason for allegedly filming Russian troops at the border with Ukraine
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Vitalii Kryvoshlyk a political prisoner. Kryvoshlyk was convicted on a charge of treason for allegedly sending to Ukraine photographs and videos of Russian troops in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Kryvoshlyk’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Vitalii Kryvoshlyk and that all criminal charges against him be dropped. We also demand a full investigation into his unlawful detention before his being formally remanded in custody.
What were the charges against Vitalii Kryvoshlyk?
Vitalii Kryvoshlyk is a Ukrainian citizen and an entrepreneur who moved to Russia’s Belgorod Oblast several years ago and obtained Russian citizenship. He travelled frequently to Ukraine on business.
On 26 February 2022, during a routine border crossing, Russian security forces stopped his vehicle. Upon inspecting his phone, they found photographs and videos of Russian military convoys. FSB officers detained him and held him in an unknown location without opening a criminal case against him until 6 May 2022 when he was remanded in custody. Kryvoshlyk was charged with treason in the form of espionage – namely the collection and transmission of information on the instructions of a foreign intelligence service for use against the security of the Russian Federation (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code).
According to the prosecution, Kryvoshlyk was recruited by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in 2012. In February 2022, he was allegedly tasked with gathering intelligence on Russian forces in Belgorod Oblast. The investigative authorities claimed that on 24 and 26 February, Kryvoshlyk sent a contact in the SBU photographs and videos via Telegram that showed the movements of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine. Kryvoshlyk pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.
On 3 August 2023, a court sentenced Kryvoshlyk to 12 years and six months in a strict regime penal colony, with confiscation of his smartphone. The sentence was upheld on both appeal and cassation.
Why do we consider Vitalii Kryvoshlyk a political prisoner?
Between 26 February and 6 May 2022, Kryvoshlyk was held unlawfully and was probably subjected to pressure to extract a confession. However, this fact was not taken into account by the court during his trial.
In light of this, we believe the prosecution failed to prove that Kryvoshlyk had been recruited or tasked by the SBU. We reject the court’s conclusion that the Russian invasion of Ukraine served the country’s security interests. In our view, it is Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine that poses a threat to Russia’s security, not Kryvoshlyk’s actions.
Even if Kryvoshlyk had done what he was accused of, his actions do not constitute a crime. As a Ukrainian citizen, he would have been acting in defence of his homeland against armed aggression.
Moreover, the sentence imposed is grossly disproportionate to the public danger of his alleged actions. The information he shared about Russian troop movements near the border after the full-scale invasion had begun was publicly accessible and not classified.
A detailed description of Vitalii Kryvoshlyk’s case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves of, their views, statements, or actions.
How can you help?
You can write to Vitalii Kryvoshlyk at the following address:
RU: 453256, Республика Башкортостан, г. Салават, станция Южная, ФКУ ИК-2 УФСИН России по Республике Башкортостан, Кривошлыку Виталию Владимировичу 1978 г. р.
EN: Vitalii Volodymyrovych Kryvoshlyk (born 1978), Penal Colony No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Bashkortostan, Yuzhnaya Station, Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, 453256, Russia.
You can also send emails via the ZT service (for payment with Russian bank cards), OVD-Info and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the recipient.
You can donate to help all political prisoners.
