Write Letters to Crimean Political Prisoners
Writing letters to those unjustly detained became even more easy with the new AI-powered online format.
Introduced by Human Rights House Crimea and Crimean Process the new project collects letters created online and supports the effort of the physically written “Letters to a Free Crimea”campaign.
To write a letter: choose one of the two forms, answer a few questions, select a person you are writing to and the system will generate a sincere letter that will be delivered through official online services working with Russian prisons.
Write your first letter, also available in Ukrainian
Write a follow-up letter if you’ve already sent one before, also available in Ukrainian.
All letters are translated into Russian to comply with prison censorship requirements. If a response is received, it is forwarded to the letter’s author.
Sending letters to Crimean political prisoners is not always easy and sometimes impossible e.g. to send them from Ukraine. It also takes the knowledge of which language to use, what to say – and many more reasons that might discourage those willing to support Crimean political prisoners cut out from the outside world.
Even a single letter can be a source of support for a political prisoner living in conditions of isolation and psychological pressure.
As of 2025, at least 224 Crimean political prisoners are being held in places of detention across Russia and temporarily occupied Crimea. Many of them are in a difficult psycho-emotional state, feeling a loss of hope. However, former prisoners have repeatedly stated: it was letters — even from strangers — that gave them the strength to hold on.
Photo caption:
Quote by Vladyslav Yesypenko, Ukrainian journalist and former political prisoner:
“From my own experience, I can say that we have great strength. The power to keep faith in freedom for Crimean political prisoners. To keep faith in life itself.”
Here are some of those you can write to:
- Iryna Danylovych – a human rights activist and citizen journalist
- Asan Akhtemov – Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and activist
- Emir-Usein Kuku– Crimean Tatar human rights defender and activist
- Halyna Dovhopola – a civilian with patriotic views from Sevastopol
- Server Mustafayev – Crimean Tatar human rights defender, coordinator of Crimean Solidarity
- Vilen Temeryanov – Crimean Tatar citizen journalist
- Bohdan Ziza – an artist, poet and anti-war activist
- Amet Suleymanov – Crimean Tatar citizen journalist
Don’t see your addressee? Just add the name of the right person from among Crimean political prisoners in the form.
Learn more about the situation of Crimean political prisoners.
The initiative was implemented with the support of the Czech organization NESEHNUTÍ.
The launch of the campaign was held during the Human Rights Houses Network Meeting 2025 in Oslo, In June 2025 (more information is on the website of the Human Rights House Foundation).